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THE 

PRACTICAL  CATECHIST 


FROM  THE  GERMAN  OF 

REV.  JAMES  NIST 

PARISH   PRIEST  OF    BIRKENHOERDT 


WITH   AN   INTRODUCTION   BY 

REV.  JAMES  LINDEN,  S.J. 


EDITED   BY 

REV.  FERREOL  GIRARDEY,  C.SS.R. 


ST.  LOUIS,  MO.7  191 5 

Published  by  B.  Herder 

17  South  Broadway 

Freiburg  (  Baden  )  68,  Great  Russell  Str. 

Germany  |  London,  W.  C. 


LIBRARY/OF 


NIHIL  OB  ST  AT 
Sti.  Ludovici,  die  10.  No'v.  1912 


F.  G.  Holweck, 
Censor  Librorum. 


IMPRIMATUR 
Sti.  Ludovici,  die  12.  Nov.  1912 

LOAN  STACK 


+U  Joannes  I.  Glennon, 
Archiepiscopus 
Sti.  Ludovici. 


Copyright,  J913, 

by 

Joseph  Gummersbach 


All  rig lils  reserved 


Mads  in  U.  S.  A. 


VAIL-BALLOU     COMPANY 

BINQHAMTON   AND   NEW  YORK 


INTRODUCTORY 

The  Germans  during  the  last  two  centuries  turned  their 
attention  in  a  special  manner  to  the  vast  field  of  instruc- 
tion and  education ;  but  in  no  branch  was  there  more  earnest 
work  done  than  in  Catechetics.  In  numerous  cathechetical 
periodicals  and  associations,  and  in  a  series  of  catechetical 
courses  men  of  the  greatest  talent  have  devoted  all  their 
learning  and  ability  to  discuss  and  test  the  various  methods, 
and  to  establish  the  most  fruitful  process  of  teaching  Cate- 
chism. The  movement  has  not  yet  met  with  perfect  suc- 
cess; although  the  views  of  the  weightiest  authors  now 
approach  unanimity  and  a  number  of  principles  have  been 
adopted  as  practically  reliable,  nevertheless  it  is  not  an 
easy  matter  to  reduce  them  to  practice.  Of  the  many  who 
have  attempted  to  do  so,  only  a  few  have  met  with  satis- 
factory results.  Lacking  a  thorough  understanding  of  said 
principles,  nearly  all  have  applied  them  without  sufficient 
care;  among  these  are  some  who  have  the  reputation  of 
being  masters  in  Catechetics.  The  Rev.  James  Nist,  parish 
priest  of  Birkenhcerdt  (Palatinate),  easily  surpasses  all  his 
predecessors,  and  may  be  considered  by  far  the  best  in 
Catechetics,  for  he  has  satisfactorily  fulfilled  his  task.  He 
has,  indeed,  mastered  the  true  catechetical  Method,  with- 
out allowing  it  to  master  him.  His  catechetical  works, 
therefore,  deserve  to  be  recommended  as  models.  Even 
the  older  and  more  experienced  Catechists  can  find  much 
to  learn  therein,  and  especially  the  rare  art  of  becoming 
little  with  the  little,  of  accommodating  oneself  to  their 
mind,  heart  and  will.  Wherefore,  most  willingly  comply- 
ing with  the  request  of  the  Publisher,  I  have  written  this 
brief  Introductory  to  the  English  translation  of  his  model 

iii 


;'•■;: 


iv  INTRODUCTORY 

work.  I  recommend  especially  a  thorough  study  of  his 
treatment  of  the  Sixth  Commandment,  of  the  Holy  Sac- 
rifice of  the  Mass,  and  of  the  Sacrament  of  Penance  (for 
the  first  confession). 

James  Linden,  S.J. 

March  26th,  191 1,  St.  Boniface's,  Emmerich,  Palatinate. 


PREFACE  TO  PART  I.  THE  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Long  is  the  way  from  a  good  Catechism  to  good  Cate- 
chetics.  What  the  Catechism  explains  about  the  doctrines 
of  the  faith  in  clear,  short  and  precise  words,  Catechetics 
should  impressively  develop  and  bring  within  the  reach  of 
the  child's  mind  and  heart.  Catechetics  should  indicate, 
elucidate  and  prove  the  Catholic  truth,  render  it  pleasing, 
lovely,  dear  and  acceptable.  It  behooves,  therefore,  the 
Catechist  to  possess  not  only  a  clear,  firm  and  solid  knowl- 
edge of  the  truths  of  faith,  but  also  the  language  of  chil- 
dren, and  a  warm,  enthusiastic  heart  for  the  faith,  in  order 
to  disclose  to  their  mind  the  whole  depth  and  beauty  of 
the  inexhaustible  wealth  of  comfort  and  the  application  of 
religion  to  practical  life. 

Rev.  James  Nist,  parish  priest  of  Birkenhcerdt,  has  hap- 
pily made  a  marked  success  of  his  Catechetics  on  Faith. 
He  teaches  not  merely,  as  a  genuine  priest,  correctly  and 
solidly,  but  he  also  speaks  the  language  of  children  in  its 
wonderful  transparency  and  graceful  naturalness.  We  may, 
perhaps,  prefer  a  different  Method;  but  it  will  be  very 
difficult  to  find  another  book  of  equal  merit.  Children  will 
surely  not  sleep  during  his  instructions,  or  hardly  be  tired 
or  distracted,  so  well  does  he  know  how  to  occupy,  win 
and  rivet  their  attention  and  good  will  by  the  abundance 
of  encouraging  comparisons  and  practical  applications. 

This  is  especially  the  case  in  the  chapters  devoted  to  the 
life  of  our  Saviour.  How  eloquently  do  the  lovely  pictures 
of  the  Child  and  Boy  Jesus,  of  the  august  figure  of  the 
Teacher  and  Lawgiver,  and  the  touching  aspect  of  our  suf- 
fering and  dying  Saviour,  speak  to  the  heart  of  the  child! 
The  Rev.  Catechist  is  well  acquainted  with  all  the  chords 

v 


vi  PREFACE  TO  PART  I 

of  a  child's  heart,  and  he  touches  them  with  a  masterly- 
hand.  These  august  mysteries  of  the  life  of  Jesus,  the 
figures  of  our  holy  religion  and  of  the  Christian  life,  he 
discloses  in  the  manifold  ways  and  forms  and  practices  of 
our  divine  worship;  he  possesses  the  great  gift  of  revealing 
them  all  in  a  surprising  manner  to  the  child's  mind,  and 
recommending  them  to  his  imitation. 

I  hereby  most  warmly  recommend  the  work  to  all  pastors 
of  souls,  catechists  and  teachers. 

M.  Meschler,  S.J. 

Luxemburg,  Oct.  25th,  1908. 


EDITOR'S  NOTICE 

Children,  in  general,  do  not  find  the  study  of  the  Cate- 
chism very  attractive.  It  seems  to  them  very  dry  and 
abstract  and  a  mere  work  of  the  memory.  Consequently, 
the  Catechism  is  often  poorly  learned  and  easily  forgotten. 
The  best  remedy  for  this  is  a  good,  practical  Catechist. 

The  Catechist  should  I,  possess  a  correct  and  clear 
knowledge  of  the  doctrines  of  faith;  2,  he  should  be  able 
to  speak  in  the  language  of  children,  that  is,  with  great 
simplicity  and  clearness;  3,  his  heart  should  be  filled  with 
an  ardent  and  enthusiastic  love  for  the  truths  of  faith,  so 
as  to  be  able  to  speak  on  them  from  the  abundance  of  his 
heart ;  4,  he  should  have  a  practical  mind,  capable  of  adapt- 
ing his  teaching  to  the  practical  religious  life  of  children, 
for  mere  theory  and  speculation  are  out  of  place  with 
them ;  5,  he  should  dearly  love  children,  for  without  such 
love,  he  will  scarcely  be  able  to  devote  his  whole  energy 
to  their  religious  training.  See  how  well  little  children 
understand  their  mother.  Why?  Because  the  love  in  her 
motherly  heart  speaks  directly  to  their  hearts;  6,  he  needs 
a  large  stock  of  patience;  in  fact,  it  should  be  inexhausti- 
ble. It  is  only  by  dint  of  numberless  and  varied  repetitions 
that  thorough  knowledge  is  imparted  to  the  young.  The 
Catechist  should  be  especially  patient  with  those  who  are 
dull  and  slow  of  comprehension.  Only  a  good  Catechist 
will  succeed  in  rendering  the  least  talented  of  his  pupils 
fairly  proficient  in  the  knowledge  and  understanding  of  the 
Catechism. 

The  teaching  of  Catechism  is  an  art  so  difficult  and  so 
important  as  to  require  that  the  Catechist  should  always 
make  a  good  preparation  for  it,  and  follow  therein  a  prac- 

vii 


viii  EDITOR'S  NOTICE 

tical  and  uniform  method.  However  great  his  experience 
may  be  therein,  he  should  consider  it  a  matter  of  conscience 
never  to  omit  serious  preparation  for  it. 

Of  all  the  methods  of  Catechetics,  that  of  Rev.  James 
Nist  is  so  thorough  and  practical,  as  to  be  considered  the 
best  and  the  most  worthy  of  serving  as  a  model  in  every 
respect.  His  exposition  and  explanation  of  the  Catechism 
is  so  handled  that  the  children  themselves  are  interested 
therein,  and  made  step  by  step  to  develop,  explain  and 
apply  in  advance  the  lesson  for  the  following  day.  The 
result  is  that,  before  studying  the  lesson  in  the  Catechism, 
they  already  know  it  mostly  by  heart,  and  find  real  interest 
in  studying  it.  Hence  the  study  of  the  Catechism  becomes 
for  them  an  easy  and  agreeable  task. 

His  method,  however,  presupposes  in  the  children  a  cer- 
tain knowledge  of  Bible  History.  Where  this  knowledge 
is  lacking,  the  Catechist  would  have  to  supply  it,  so  as  to 
make  the  illustrations  and  applications  clear  and  interesting 
to  the  children. 

The  results  of  Father  Nist's  method  will  not  be  transi- 
tory, but  permanent;  they  are  well  calculated  to  produce  in 
the  children  a  clear  and  precise  knowledge  of  our  holy 
religion,  a  childlike  love  for  it,  and  to  render  its  practice 
like  a  second  nature  to  them. 

The  translator  has  somewhat  condensed  the  work  of 
Father  Nist,  and  adapted  certain  parts  unsuited  for  the 
United  States,  to  the  wants  of  our  children. 


ui    • 


f  / 


CONTENTS 


PART    I.      THE    APOSTLES     CREED. 

PAGE 

1.  On  Faith 3 

ib.  God,  the  Creator 6 

2.  God  is  almighty io 

3.  God  is  everywhere.     God  is  a  spirit 13 

4.  There  is  but  one  God.     God  knows  all  things  ...  15 

5.  God  is  eternal 18 

6.  The  Blessed  Trinity 20 

7.  God  cares  for  the  world.     God  is  good 24 

7b.  God  rules  the  world 30 

8.  The  Creation  and  the  Fall  of  the  Angels     ....  32 

9.  God  is  holy  and  just 38 

10.  The  Guardian  Angels 42 

11.  The  Creation  of  the  first  Man 46 

12.  Man  is  the  most  noble  Creature  of  God  on  earth  .      .  51 

13.  The  Creation  of  Eve.     Paradise 55 

14.  The  Commandment  of  God  in  Paradise.     Why  we  are 

on  earth 59 

15.  The  Fall  of  our  First  Parents 61 

16.  The  Confession  and  Punishment  of  our  First  Parents  64 

17.  Original  Sin 69 

18.  Promise  of  the  Redeemer 71 

19.  The  Announcement  of  the  Redeemer's  Birth     ...  75 

20.  Birth  of  the  Redeemer 81 

21.  The  Shepherds  adore  the  Infant  Saviour     ....  85 

22.  On  Holy  Mass 91 

23.  The  Presentation  of  Jesus  in  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem  95 

24.  The  Wise  Men  from  the  East  adore  the  Redeemer     .  100 

25.  Flight  of  the  Holy  Family  to  Egypt 107 

26.  The    twelve-year-old    Child   Jesus   in   the    Temple   of 

Jerusalem 112 

27.  The  Life  of  Jesus  at  Nazareth 120 

28.  Jesus  teaches,  works  Miracles  and  chooses  His  Apos- 

tles   124 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

29.  Jesus  raises  Lazarus  from  the  dead 129 

30.  Jesus  sweats  blood  in  the  Garden  of  olives  .      .      .      .134 

31.  The  Arrest  of  Jesus 141 

32.  Jesus  is  scourged 145 

33.  Jesus  is  crowned  with  thorns 151 

34.  Jesus  is  condemned  by  Pilate  to  die  on  the  Cross  .      .155 

35.  Jesus  carries  His  heavy  Cross 160 

36.  Jesus  is  crucified 166 

37.  The  dead  Body  of  Jesus  is  pierced  and  buried  .      .      .    175 

38.  The  Soul  of  Jesus  goes  down  to  Limbo.     Jesus  rises 

from  the  dead 180 

39.  Jesus    appears    to    His    Disciples.     Jesus    ascends    to 

Heaven 188 

40.  The  Holy  Ghost  descends  upon  the  Apostles      .      .      .   196 

41.  The  Catholic  Church 204 

42.  The  End  of  the  Catholic  Church.     The  Communion  of 

Saints.     The  Forgiveness  of  Sins 209 

43.  The   Resurrection  of  the   Body   and  Life   everlasting. 

Amen 215 

44.  Death;  Judgment;  Purgatory;  Heaven;  Hell    .      .      .  219 

45.  The  General  Judgment 226 

PART   II.      THE   COMMANDMENTS    OF   GOD. 

i.     The  Commandment  of  the  Love  of  God 237 

2.  The  Commandment  of  the  Love  of  our  Neighbor  .      .  245 

3.  On    the    Commandments.     God    gave    the    Ten    Com- 

mandments          252 

First  Commandment  of  God 258 

4.  The  Worship  of  God 258 

5.  The  Worship  of  God  by  Sacrifice 266 

6.  Honoring  the  Saints 271 

7.  Second   Commandment.     Reverence  for  the   Name  of 

God 278 

8.  Taking  God's  Name  in  vain 282 

9.  Third  Commandment  of  God.     First  Commandment  of 

the  Church.     Sanctification  of  the  Sunday  and  of  the 
Holydays  of  obligation 289 

10.  The   Fourth    Commandment.     Duties   of   Children   to- 

wards their  Parents 297 

11.  The  Sins  of  Children  against  their  Parents       .      .      .   309 

12.  The  Fifth  Commandment.     Sins  against  the  Life  of 

the  Body 316 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

13.  Seduction,  or  leading  astray 325 

14.  The  Sixth  and  Ninth  Commandments.     Impurity  .      .331 

15.  Chastity,  or  Purity 337 

16.  The   Seventh  Commandment.     Our  Neighbor's  Prop- 

erty     350 

17.  Eighth  Commandment.     Lying  and  Falsehood  .      .      .   359 

18.  The    Tenth    Commandment.     Unjust    Desires    of    our 

Neighbor's  Property 368 

PART    III.      THE    SACRAMENTS. 

i.  The  Sacraments  in  general 377 

2.  Baptism 381 

3.  Confirmation 386 

4.  The  Most  Holy  Sacrament  of  the  Altar 391 

5.  The  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass 399 

6.  Hearing  Mass 412 

7.  The  Worship  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament 428 

8.  The  Sacrament  of  Penance,  and,  at  the  same  time,  an 

Instruction   for  the   first  Confession.     The   Institu- 
tion of  the  Sacrament  of  Penance 436 

9.  The  Examination  of  Conscience 446 

10.  A  Practical  Examination  of  Conscience 452 

11.  Idea  of  Contrition 471 

12.  The  Qualities  of  Contrition 476 

13.  The  Purpose  of  Amendment,  or  the  Resolution  to  sin 

no  more 484 

14.  The  awaking  of  Contrition  and  the  Good  Resolution  .  494 

15.  Confession 504 

16.  Satisfaction 521 

17.  A  Practical  Confession 529 

18.  Extreme  Unction 541 

19.  Holy  Order 547 

20.  Marriage 551 


PART  I 
THE  APOSTLES'  CREED 


1.  On  Faith. 

Dear  Children,  you  have  already  learned,  not  only  from 
Bible  History,  but  also  from  the  Catechism,  how  God 
created  the  world.  Your  teacher  teaches  you  Bible  His- 
tory and  the  Catechism.  Who  else  teaches  them  to  you? 
The  priest.  Where  else  does  the  priest  teach?  In  the 
church  when  he  preaches.  There  he  teaches  not  only  the 
children,  but  also  the  grown  people.  In  every  parish  there 
is  a  priest,  who  is  the  pastor  of  the  parish.  All  priests 
teach  the  people.  The  bishop  is  above  the  priests.  He 
also  teaches  the  people.  The  bishop  sends  a  priest  to 
every  parish,  to  teach  the  people ;  and  he  tells  the  priest 
what  he  must  teach.  The  priests  are  not  allowed  to  teach 
differently  from  the  bishop.  There  are  over  one  thousand 
bishops  in  the  world.  The  highest  bishop  is  the  bishop  of 
Rome;  he  is  called  the  Pope.  The  Pope  and  the  bishops 
all  teach  the  same.  What  one  of  them  teaches,  all  the 
others  teach.     (Repeat  the  above,  if  necessary.) 

Who  sends  priests  to  the  parishes?  The  bishop.  What 
must  the  priest  do  in  a  parish?  Teach  the  people  about 
God.  What  does  the  bishop  also  do?  How  many  bishops 
are  there  in  the  world?  Who  is  the  highest  bishop?  The 
bishop  of  Rome ;  he  is  also  called  the  Pope.  The  Pope  to- 
gether with  the  bishops  is  called  the  Catholic  Church.  What 
other  words  can  we  use  instead  of,  the  Pope  and  the  bishops 
teach?  The  Catholic  Church  teaches.  Before  the  Pope 
and  the  bishops  who  are  now  teaching,  another  Pope  and 
other  bishops  taught;  and  others  again  before  them.     The 

3 


4  APOSTLES'  CREED 

apostles  were  the  first  bishops  in  the  world.  There  were 
twelve  apostles.  The  apostles  also  taught.  Jesus  told  the 
apostles  what  they  should  teach.  The  apostles  remained 
with  Jesus  nearly  three  years ;  and  during  that  time  Jesus 
taught  them  many  things.  He  told  them  all  that  we  must 
know  about  God.  Men  could  never  have  found  out  by 
themselves  what  we  know  about  God.  Jesus  had  to  make 
it  known.  To  whom  did  Jesus  make  it  known?  He  made 
it  known  (revealed  it)  to  the  apostles. 

Who  were  the  first  bishops  in  the  world?  How  many 
apostles  were  there?  From  whom  did  the  apostles  learn 
what  they  taught?  From  Jesus.  What  did  Jesus  teach 
the  apostles?  All  that  we  must  know  about  God.  What 
does  reveal  mean?  It  means  to  make  known.  The  apos- 
tles wrote  down  most  of  the  truths  Jesus  had  revealed  to 
them  about  God.  They  are  found  in  the  Catechism  and 
in  Bible  History;  but  not  all.  Many  beautiful  things  are 
related  in  them.  You  have  already  learned  about  the  cre- 
ation of  the  world,  Adam  and  Eve,  the  earthly  paradise, 
and  some  things  about  the  Child  Jesus.  I  know  that  these 
things  please  you  very  much.  Which  story  in  your  Reader 
pleased  you  the  most?  Did  you  believe  what  is  related 
in  that  story  about  (mention  some  of  the  personages)  ? 
No.  Why  not?  That  is  not  true;  a  wise  man  made  it  up 
to  please  children. 

Do  you  know  some  one,  mentioned  in  Bible  History, 
who  made  up  a  story  in  order  to  make  men  unhappy  ?  Yes ; 
the  devil.  He  wished  to  induce  them  to  eat  of  the  for- 
bidden fruit.  What  did  God  threaten  to  our  first  parents, 
if  they  would  eat  of  that  fruit?  That  they  must  die.  But 
what  did  the  devil  say  (make  up)  ?  You  shall  by  no  means 
die.  Whom  did  Eve  believe  more  ?  The  devil.  And  what 
did  Eve  then  do?  She  ate  of  the  forbidden  fruit  and  gave 
some  to  Adam.  And  what  did  Adam  do?  He  ate  it  to 
please  Eve.  Then  Adam  and  Eve  were  banished  from 
the  earthly  paradise.     And  finally  they  had  to  die.     Who 


FAITH  5 

had  foretold  this  to  them?  Who,  then,  had  told  them  the 
truth  ?  Who  had  lied  to  them  ?  The  devil  always  tells  lies. 
He  is  a  liar  through  and  through.  But  God  can  never  lie. 
He  is  always  truthful. 

Jesus  Christ  also  is  God.  How  do  we  call  all  that  He 
says?  How  do  we  call  all  that  He  revealed  to  His  apos- 
tles? All  that  He  revealed  to  His  apostles  is  true.  What 
must  we,  therefore,  believe?  We  must  believe  all  that 
Jesus  Christ,  who  is  God,  revealed  to  the  apostles.  What 
do  we  call  the  Pope  together  with  all  the  bishops?  The 
Catholic  Church.  (Repeat.)  How  can  we  express  in  two 
ways?     Who  teaches  men  what  God  has  revealed? 

You  little  children  are  not  yet  able  to  learn  and  remem- 
ber all  that  the  Catholic  Church  teaches.  That  is  a  great 
deal  too  much  for  you  now.  But  it  is  not  yet  necessary 
for  you  to  know  it  all.  You  should,  however,  know  at 
least  what  is  the  most  important.  The  apostles  put  to- 
gether into  a  prayer  the  principal  truths  which  we  all 
ought  to  know.  This  prayer  is  short.  It  contains  twelve 
sentences,  or  articles.  It  begins :  "  I  believe  in  God  the 
Father  Almighty."  How  is  this  prayer  called?  The 
Creed;  also  the  Apostles'  Creed.  Of  how  many  sentences 
(articles)  is  it  composed?  What  is  briefly  (in  few  words) 
contained  in  these  twelve  articles?  The  principal  truths 
which  we  must  believe. 

Summary.  Which  prayer  contains  in  few  words  the 
most  important  truths  which  we  must  believe?  The  prin- 
cipal (most  important)  truths  which  we  must  believe  are 
briefly  contained  in  the  Apostles'  Creed.  Wrhy  is  it  called 
the  Apostles'  Creed?  Because  it  comes  from  the  apostles. 
Recite  the  Apostles'  Creed.  What  must  we  believe?  We 
must  believe  all  that  God  has  revealed.  Who  teaches  us 
all  that  God  has  revealed?  The  Catholic  Church  teaches 
us  all  that  God  has  revealed. 

Application  —  Technical.  You  will  find  in  your  new 
(larger)  Catechism  what  I  have  taught  you  to-day.     Open 


6  APOSTLES'  CREED 

your  Catechism,  page  ...  It  begins  with  Q.  I :  Why 
are  we  on  earth  (in  this  world)  ?  Write  this  question  on 
the  board.  Show  it  to  me  in  your  Catechism.  (Ex- 
amine.) Q.  means  question;  therefore  after  Q.  is  asked: 
"  Why  are  we  on  earth  ? "  a  line  below  you  see  A. ;  it 
means  answer.  Show  it  to  me.  When  the  children  are 
asked  the  Q.,  they  must  give  the  answer  A.  Next  comes 
Q.  2.  Where?  Below  is  Q.  3.  Show  it.  What  does 
Q.  mean?  What  do  you  read  in  the  same  line?  "What 
must  we  believe?"  These  are  the  questions  for  to-day. 
A  line  further  down  you  see  A.  W^hat  does  that  mean? 
Answer.  Who  can  read  the  answer?  Proceed  in  like  man- 
ner with  Q.  4,  5,  6,  7.  You  must  read  once  more  Q.  4, 
5,  6,  7  at  home.  What  must  you  read  at  home?  Can  you 
find  it  by  yourselves?  Let  us  try.  Close  your  Catechism. 
When  you  come  home,  and  your  mother  asks  you :  "  Which 
is  your  next  lesson  in  Catechism?"  open  your  Catechism, 
and  show  it  to  her.  Which  is  your  next  lesson?  Show 
me.  Open  your  Catechism.  Where  is  your  next  lesson? 
At  home  say  to  your  mother :  "  Mother,  please  question 
me."  Then  your  mother  will  ask  you  the  questions.  What 
answer  will  you  give  her  to  the  question :  "  What  must 
we  believe  ?  "  etc.  How  do  children  do,  when  they  study 
the  Catechism  together?  One  asks  the  questions,  and  the 
other  gives  the  answers.  Let  us  'practise  this.  Close  your 
Catechism. 


lb.  God,  the  Creator. 

There  is  a  prayer  which  contains  in  a  few  words  all  that 
you  are  to  learn  in  the  Catechism  and  in  Bible  History. 
It  begins :  "  I  believe  in  God  the  Father  almighty."  How 
is  this  prayer  called?  The  Creed.  It  is  called  also  the 
Apostles'  Creed.  The  Apostles'  Creed  has  twelve  sen- 
tences, or  articles.  You  will  learn  by  degrees  all  that  is 
contained   in  the  Apostles'   Creed.     I   will  explain  a  part 


GOD,  THE  CREATOR  7 

of  it  to-day.     The  Apostles'  Creed  begins  thus :     "  I  be- 
lieve in  God." 

Object.     I  am  going  to  tell  you  to-day  what  God  has 
made. 

Relation.  In  the  beginning  God  created  heaven  and 
earth.  But  the  earth  was  like  a  desert,  without  anything 
on  it;  it  was  all  dark  and  covered  with  water.  Then  God 
said :  "  Let  there  be  light."  And  then  light  was  imme- 
diately there.  God  called  the  light  day,  and  the  darkness 
night.  That  was  the  first  day.  Then  God  said :  "  Let 
the  firmament  be."  And  the  firmament  was  immediately 
there.  God  called  the  firmament  heaven.  That  was  the 
second  day.  After  this  God  said:  "Let  the  waters  flow 
into  one  place,  and  let  dry  land  appear."  And  so  it  hap- 
pened immediately.  God  called  the  dry  land  earth,  and 
the  waters  that  had  gathered  together,  sea.  And  God  said : 
"  Let  the  earth  bring  forth  grass,  plants  and  fruit-trees." 
And  so  grass,  plants  and  fruit-trees  immediately  grew  out 
of  the  earth,  and  the  earth  looked  green  and  beautiful. 
This  was  the  third  day.  Then  God  said :  "  Let  there  be 
lights  in  the  heavens."  And  immediately  the  lights  ap- 
peared, for  God  created  the  sun,  the  moon  and  the  stars, 
that  they  should  give  light  to  the  earth.  And  this  was 
the  fourth  day.  God  said  further :  "  Let  there  be  fishes 
in  the  water  and  birds  in  the  air."  And  God  created  all 
kinds  of  fishes  and  birds,  and  blessed  them,  saying:  "In- 
crease and  multiply."     That  was  the  fifth  day. 

God  spoke  again :  "  Let  the  earth  bring  forth  all  kinds 
of  animals."  And  immediately  all  kinds  of  animals  ap- 
peared on  the  earth.  And  last  of  all  God  created  man. 
That  was  the  sixth  day.  And  on  the  seventh  day  God 
rested,  and  blessed  and  sanctified  that  day. 

N.  B.  The  children  are  supposed  to  know  all  the  fore- 
going already. 

Explanation  —  Heaven  and  earth  in  six  days.  What 
did  God  do  in  the  beginning,  when  there  was  nothing  be- 


8  APOSTLES'  CREED 

sides  God?  In  the  beginning  God  created  heaven  and 
earth.  In  what  state  was  the  earth  then?  It  was  like  a 
desert  without  anything  living  or  growing  on  it;  it  was 
all  dark  and  covered  with  water.  When  is  it  dark  with 
us?  In  the  night.  Just  as  dark  as  it  is  with  us  those 
nights  when  neither  the  moon  nor  the  stars  shine.  So  dark 
was  it  everywhere  in  the  beginning  of  the  world.  What 
does  your  mother  do  at  night  to  light  up  a  dark  room? 
She  makes  a  light.  How  did  God  make  a  light  in  the  dark 
world  ?  He  said :  "  Let  there  be  light,"  and  there  was 
light.  In  this  way  the  dark  night  disappeared,  and  there 
was  daylight.  How  grand!  That  was  the  first  day. 
What  did  God  create  on  the  second  day?  On  the  second 
day  God  created  the  firmament.  He  called  the  firmament 
heaven.  But  the  heavens  were  not  yet  so  beautiful  as  they 
are  now,  for  there  were  no  stars,  no  sun,  no  moon  there. 
The  earth  was  yet  bare,  with  nothing  on  it.  God  wished 
to  make  the  earth  beautiful.  What  did  He  create  on  the 
third  day?  On  the  third  day  He  created  the  dry  land 
(the  earth),  and  the  large  body  of  water  called  the  sea. 
What  did  God  cause  to  grow  on  the  earth?  He  caused 
grass,  plants  and  fruit-trees  to  grow  on  the  earth.  There 
were  now  meadows,  plants  and  trees  of  every  kind.  The 
whole  earth  became  a  beautiful  garden.  There  bloomed 
thereon  the  sweet-scented  violet,  the  pansy,  the  rose,  the 
lily  and  all  the  beautiful  flowers;  and  there  were  number- 
less trees  laden  with  fine  fruits,  apples,  apricots,  pears, 
peaches,  plums,  cherries. 

After  making  the  earth  beautiful,  God  wished  to  adorn 
the  heavens  also.  What  did  God  create  on  the  fourth  day  ? 
The  sun,  the  moon  and  the  stars,  that  they  might  shine 
on  the  earth.  The  heavens  and  the  earth  were  now  a 
beautiful  sight.  But  there  was  silence  everywhere.  There 
was  yet  no  living  thing.  What  did  God  create  on  the 
fifth  day?  The  fishes  in  the  water  and  the  birds  in  the 
air.     There  were  more  fishes  swimming  in  the  water  and 


GOD,  THE  CREATOR  9 

more  birds  flying  in  the  air  than  we  can  imagine.  The 
birds  were  happy  flying  about  and  singing  beautifully.  But 
there  was  something  still  wanting  on  the  earth.  You  know 
what  it  was.  God  created  it  on  the  sixth  day.  On  that 
day  God  created  animals  of  all  kinds  on  the  earth,  such 
as  horses,  cattle,  dogs,  cats,  elephants,  lions,  tigers,  bears, 
etc.  The  woods  were  full  of  hares,  squirrels,  deer  and  wild 
beasts.  All  animals  were  happy  and  enjoyed  life.  And 
God  Himself  rejoiced  at  all  that  He  had  made,  for  it  was 
all  very  good.  But  God  did  not  need  the  earth  for  His 
own  use.  For  whom  did  He  make  the  earth  so  beautiful? 
For  men.  On  which  day  did  He  create  man?  On  the 
sixth  day.  And  man  was  the  last  thing  He  made  on  that 
day.  In  how  many  days  did  He  create  the  world?  He 
created  the  world  in  six  days. 

The  day  of  rest.  After  the  sixth  day  God  ceased  to 
create  new  things.  What  did  God  do  on  the  seventh  day? 
You  must  not  think  that  God  got  even  a  little  tired,  for 
God  cannot  get  tired.  But  He  wished  that  men  should 
work  six  days,  and  should  rest  on  the  seventh  day.  Which 
day  is  that?  Sunday.  God  blessed  and  sanctified  the 
seventh  day.  Therefore  we  also  should  keep  the  Sunday 
holy.  Where  do  we  go  on  Sundays?  What  clothes  do 
you  wear  there  ?  Sunday  clothes.  Where  do  you  not  need 
to  go  on  Sundays?  Who  instituted  that  day  for  mankind? 
You  see  how  God  loves  us  and  how  He  takes  our  welfare  to 
heart.  From  whom  do  you  get  all  the  good  things  you 
eat?  Of  which  fruits  are  you  especially  fond?  (Enumer- 
ate some.)  What  pleasure  you  children  find  with  animals, 
such  as  rabbits,  dogs,  playful  kittens;  and  you  like  the 
canary  that  sings  so  sweetly  in  its  cage!  From  whom  do 
all  those  good  things  come?  From  God  every  good  thing 
comes.     From  whom  do  heaven  and  earth  come? 

And  everything  therein.  What  did  God  do  in  the 
heavens?  What  has  He  made  to  grow  on  earth?  What 
besides  plants?    Animals  and  men.     What  did  God  place 


io  APOSTLES'  CREED 

in  the  water  and  in  the  air?  Therefore,  God  made  heaven 
and  earth  and  everything  in  them.  Heaven  and  earth  and 
all  that  they  contain  are  called  the  world,  the  universe. 

Summary.  What  things  did  God  make?  He  made  the 
world  (universe),  heaven  and  earth  and  all  that  they  con- 
tain. From  whom  does  everything  good  come  ?  From  God 
every  good  thing  comes. 

Application.  For  whom  did  God  create  all  that  is  beau- 
tiful and  good?     See,  then,  how  much  God  loves  us. 

What  do  you  say  to  your  mother  when  she  gives  you 
something  good?  Thank  you.  We  must,  therefore,  thank 
God  for  all  these  good  and  beautiful  things.  How  can 
we  thank  God?  By  saying:  "  O  my  God,  I  thank  Thee." 
This  would  please  God.  But  you  can  please  Him  more 
in  another  way.  Who  knows  ?  By  praying.  When  should 
you  pray  to  Him?  Where  especially  should  you  pray? 
That  is  very  pleasing  to  God.  Even  the  flowers,  the  trees 
and  the  birds  give  Him  pleasure.  The  flowers  bloom  and 
smell  so  sweet.  The  trees  lift  their  tops  heavenward  where 
God  dwells.  The  birds  in  the  woods,  in  the  gardens  sing 
to  God  such  joyful  songs.  The  lark  in  the  field  in  the 
early  morn  ascends  towards  heaven,  singing  to  God  a  won- 
derful song  of  thanks.  That  is  pleasing  to  God.  Do  you 
also  wish  to  please  God?  You  cannot  do  it  better  than 
by  your  good  behavior  and  praying  devoutly  to  Him. 

2.  God  is  Almighty. 

Object.     I  will  tell  you  how  God  made  all  things. 

Development  —  How?  Suppose  to-morrow  morning 
your  mother  would  say  in  the  dark  from  her  bed :  "  Let 
there  be  light."  What  would  happen?  It  would  remain 
dark.  Or  suppose  the  carpenter  would  open  his  shop  and 
say :  "  Let  there  be  a  new  table  here  right  away."  What 
would  happen  ?  But  how  did  God  create  light  ?  God  said : 
"Let  there  be  light."     What  happened  then?     And  imme- 


GOD  IS  ALMIGHTY  n 

diately  there  was  light.  How  did  God  create  the  sun,  moon, 
and  the  stars?  He  said:  "Let  there  be  lights  in  the 
heavens,"  etc.  And  immediately  the  great  brilliant  sun 
stood  in  the  heavens,  the  moon  was  shining  in  her  friendly 
way,  and  numberless  stars  opened  their  bright  eyes  in  the 
firmament.  (Repeat  in  like  manner  the  creation  of  the 
fishes,  birds,  plants  and  animals.)  What  do  we  call  heaven 
and  earth  and  all  that  they  contain?  How  did  God  create 
the  world  (universe)?  He  said:  "Let  the  world  be.' 
And  what  happened?  And  immediately  the  world  was 
there. 

To  create.  What  does  your  mother  need  to  make  light? 
What  does  a  carpenter  need  to  make  a  table?  What  does 
a  contractor  need  to  build  a  house?  Materials,  tools, 
workmen.  (Explain  briefly.)  But  how  different  it  is  with 
God!  He  needs  no  materials,  no  tools,  no  workmen.  He 
made  the  world  out  of  nothing,  without  materials,  without 
tools,  without  workmen,  and  only  by  willing  it.  What  did 
God  make  out  of  nothing?  God  made  the  world  out  of 
nothing.  To  make  things  out  of  nothing  is  called  to  create. 
Instead  of :  God  made  the  world  out  of  nothing,  let  us 
say :     God  created  the  world. 

Almighty.  Name  some  things  which  God  created  on  the 
earth.  Grass,  flowers,  trees.  What  are  the  trees  made  of? 
Wood.  Suppose  I  would  give  you  plenty  of  wood  and 
all  kinds  of  tools,  and  ask  you  to  make  a  tree  that  grows, 
blossoms  and  produces  fruits.  What  would  you  say?  We 
cannot  do  it.  Can  any  man  on  earth  do  it?  No.  Suppose 
I  would  give  you  feathers,  flesh  and  bones  and  tell  you 
to  make  a  living  bird  with  those  things.  What  would  you 
say?  We  cannot  do  it;  no  man  can.  Well,  then,  make  a 
little  flower  that  will  grow.  That  is  not  possible  for  us. 
Well,  then,  make  a  blade  of  grass  in  the  flower-pot.  We 
cannot  do  it.  You  see  now  that  you  cannot  make  even  a 
little  blade  of  grass  grow.  Even  if  all  the  men  on  earth 
would  work  together,  they  could  not  make  a  small  blade 


12  APOSTLES'  CREED 

of  grass  grow.  Who  made  all  the  grass,  all  the  flowers 
and  all  the  trees  on  earth  grow?  And  all  the  fishes,  birds 
and  animals?  And  how  did  He  make  them  all?  There  is 
not  a  thing  which  God  cannot  do.  He  can  do  all  that  He 
wills.  There  is  not  a  thing,  however  great  or  difficult, 
which  God  cannot  make,  if  He  only  wills  to  make  it.  God 
is  almighty. 

The  Creator.  Because  God  has  created  all  things,  we 
call  Him  Creator.  What  name  can  we  give  Him  for  having 
created  heaven?  Creator  of  heaven.  And  for  having 
created  the  earth?  Creator  of  the  earth.  What,  then,  do 
we  call  God?     Creator  of  heaven  and  earth. 

Creatures.  The  things  which  God  created  are  called 
creatures.  What  are  the  flowers,  the  stars,  etc.,  etc.? 
They  are  creatures  of  God. 

The  Lord.  Suppose  you  make  a  boat  of  paper;  whose 
boat  is  it?  Mine.  You  are,  then,  the  owner,  the  master 
of  that  boat.  WThy?  Because  I  made  it.  Your  father 
makes  a  table.  What  is  your  father  with  regard  to  that 
table?  Its  owner,  its  master.  Why?  Who  created  the 
world?  God  is,  then,  the  Master,  the  Lord  of  the  world. 
Who  created  the  earth,  the  heavens?  What  is  God,  on 
account  of  that?  From  whom  comes  every  good?  From 
God.  Therefore  we  say:  God,  from  whom  every  good 
comes,  is  the  Creator  and  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth. 

Summary.  Who  is  the  Creator  and  Lord  of  heaven 
and  earth?  Why?  How  did  God  create  the  world?  God 
merely  said :  "  Let  the  world  be,"  and  immediately  the 
world  was  made.     Why  do  we  say  that  God  is  almighty? 

Application.  How  powerful,  how  great  is  God,  who 
created  the  world  merely  by  willing  it!  Would  that  I 
could  tell  you  how  great  and  how  mighty  God  is !  Suppose 
all  the  water  in  the  brooks,  in  the  rivers,  in  the  lakes, 
in  the  ocean  was  ink;  and  suppose  also  all  the  blades  of 
grass,  all  the  leaves  of  plants  and  trees  were  pens;  sup- 
pose all  the  worms,  caterpillars,  butterflies,  birds  and  ani- 


GOD  IS  EVERYWHERE  13 

mals  and  all  men  were  writers,  and  the  vast  firmament  was 
writing  paper,  and  all  those  writers  would  write  on  that 
paper  for  thousands  of  years  day  and  night,  in  order  to 
explain  how  great  and  powerful  God  is,  they  could  never 
finish  doing  so,  for  He  is  infinitely  great  and  powerful. 
And  when  you  see  in  spring  how  every  plant  sprouts  and 
blossoms,  you  should  say :  "  Almighty  God,  we  praise 
Thee,  and  we  intend  to  praise  Thee  as  many  times  as  there 
are  stars  in  the  heavens,  flowers  in  the  fields,  leaves  in  the 
forests,  and  drops  of  water  in  the  ocean." 

3.  God  is  everywhere.    God  is  a  spirit. 

Object.     I  will  now  tell  you  where  God  is. 

Development — We  cannot  see  God.  When  school 
opened  this  morning,  we  said  some  prayers  to  God.  Where 
does  God  dwell  ?  He  dwells  in  heaven.  Must  we  not  talk 
very  loud  for  God  to  hear  us  in  heaven?  But  listen:  God 
is  not  only  in  heaven ;  He  is  also  here  in  this  school-room 
with  us.  But  where?  We  cannot  see  Him.  (It  is  not 
God  Himself  who  hangs  on  that  cross;  but  only  His  image.) 
Can  you  not  see  me  and  all  the  children  here?  How  do 
you  see  ?  With  your  eyes ;  your  eyes  belong  to  your  body  ; 
hence  we  call  them  our  bodily,  or  corporal  eyes.     (Repeat.) 

God  is  a  spirit.  You  see  me,  my  head,  my  shoulders,  my 
arms,  etc. ;  these  are  parts  of  my  body.  But  God  has  no 
body,  nor  anything  bodily  or  corporal,  such  as,  head,  eyes, 
etc.  God  is  a  spirit.  We  cannot  see  a  spirit  with  our  cor- 
poral eyes.  Why?  Because  God  is  a  spirit  and  has  not  a 
body.  What  other  things  are  there,  which  we  cannot  see? 
We  cannot  see  our  soul,  angels,  the  air,  the  wind.  We 
cannot  see  heat  or  cold,  but  we  can  feel  them ;  and  thus  we 
know  that  they  exist.  (This  admits  of  further  development 
by  questions  and  answers.) 

God  is  everywhere.  Who  is  here  in  this  room  that  we 
cannot    see  ?     God.     He   is   also   in   the    church ;   in   your 


14  APOSTLES'  CREED 

houses;  in  the  streets,  in  the  fields,  all  over  the  ocean;  in 
every  country;  in  the  air;  underground  in  the  mines.  If 
you  could  fly  to  the  moon,  to  the  sun  and  the  stars,  you 
would  find  God  there  also.  There  is  not  a  place  in  the 
whole  world  where  God  is  not.  God  is  everywhere  on 
earth,  in  the  heavens,  in  heaven.  Is  He  also  in  hell  ?  Yes, 
He  is  there  also ;  but  He  does  not  suffer,  but  exercises  His 
power  by  punishing  the  wicked. 

God  is  immense.  You  children  have  been  growing  larger 
and  larger;  you  can  now  reach  higher  than  you  did  two 
years  ago.  But  how  tall  you  would  have  to  be,  in  order 
to  be  able  to  reach  with  your  hand  the  cross  on  the  church 
steeple!  But  God  is  all  over  the  world;  He  reaches  every- 
where ;  He  is  infinitely  great ;  He  is  immense.  And  yet  God 
has  no  size,  as  our  body  has.  We  cannot  say  of  Him  that 
He  is  so  tall,  so  wide.  He  is  everywhere,  and  in  each  place 
He  is  whole  and  entire.  How  can  that  be?  We  cannot 
understand  it ;  but  it  is  so.  Our  soul  makes  our  body  live. 
Where  there  is  life  in  our  body,  our  soul  is  there.  But 
there  is  life  in  every  part  of  our  body ;  therefore  the  soul 
is  in  every  part  of  our  body ;  but  our  soul  has  no  size ;  it  is 
not  so  long,  and  so  wide  like  our  body.  We  cannot  divide 
our  soul  as  our  body;  and  where  the  soul  is,  it  is  all  there; 
not  like  our  body,  for  each  part  of  our  body  is  in  its  own 
place,  such  as  the  head,  the  arms,  the  feet ;  where  the  head 
is,  the  arms,  the  feet  are  not  there;  etc.  But  our  soul  is 
whole  and  entire  in  our  whole  body,  and  in  every  part  of  our 
body.  In  like  manner,  God  is  all  over  the  world,  and  He 
is  also  whole  and  entire  in  every  little  part  of  the  world. 
God  is  seen  in  heaven  as  He  is,  face  to  face. 

Summary.  Where  is  God  present  without  being  seen? 
Where  is  He  seen?  Is  there  a  place  where  God  is  not? 
God  is  in  heaven,  on  earth  and  in  all  places.  He  is  a  spirit 
and  cannot  be  seen  with  corporal  eyes. 

Application.  Suppose  you  had  to  go  on  a  dark  night 
through  a  thick  forest,  and  your  father  would  be  with  you. 


ONE  GOD  15 

Would  you  be  afraid?  Why  not?  Because  your  father  is 
strong  and  able  to  defend  you.  But  there  is  One  much 
stronger  than  your  father,  who  is  with  you  wherever  you 
are,  wherever  you  go.  God  is  always  with  you,  near  you, 
by  day  and  by  night,  at  home,  at  school,  in  the  street,  in  the 
fields.  When  your  mother  sends  you  to  a  dark  place  to  get 
something,  do  you  need  to  be  afraid?  Is  not  God  there? 
Is  He  not  with  you?  Is  He  not  your  loving  Father  and 
Protector  ? 


4.  There  is  but  one  God.    God  knows  all  things. 

Object.  I  will  explain  to  you  that  God  knows  and  sees 
all  things. 

Development.  There  is  but  one  sun.  It  is  very  warm 
to-day.  What  makes  this  room  so  warm?  Whence  comes 
the  heat  in  the  woods,  in  the  fields,  in  the  streets?  It  is  hot 
also  in  ....  (mention  some  neighboring  towns,  etc.). 
What  makes  it  hot  there  also?  It  is  the  sun.  Is  it  the  same 
or  another  sun  that  makes  it  hot  here  and  elsewhere?  No, 
it  is  the  same  sun  everywhere.  How  many  suns  produce 
heat  all  over  the  country?  One  sun  only  causes  all  this 
heat. 

Only  one  God.  In  like  manner,  there  is  only  one  and 
the  same  God  everywhere.  Is  there  more  than  one  God 
for  the  whole  world  (universe)  ?  No,  there  is  only  one 
God;  He  who  made  all  things. 

God  sees  all  things.  We  know  that  this  one  God  is 
everywhere.  Where  are  we  all  now?  Therefore  we  all 
see  what  is  done  in  this  room.  Can  your  mother  at  home 
see  what  we  are  doing  here?  No.  Why?  Because  she 
is  not  here.  She  must  be  here,  in  order  to  be  able  to  see 
what  is  going  on  here.  And  to  see  what  is  going  on  in 
your  house,  you  must  be  there.  (Similar  questions  about 
other  places,  countries.)  If  you  were  in  the  woods  on  a 
dark  night,  could  you  see  what  would  be  going  on  there? 


16  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Or  if  you  stood  in  front  of  a  house,  could  you  see  what 
would  be  going  on  in  the  rooms  inside?  Why?  Because 
I  would  not  be  inside.  If  you  could  see  at  one  and  the 
same  time  all  that  is  going  on  in  all  the  houses  in  this 
place,  in  every  country  on  earth,  in  the  stars,  etc.,  where 
would  you  have  to  be  ?  Everywhere.  Who  is  everywhere  ? 
How  much,  then,  can  God  see?  He  can  see  and  sees  all 
things. 

Also  in  the  dark  nights  and  places.  God  can  see  every- 
where, and  all  things.  There  is  no  darkness  for  God. 
He  has  the  brightest  and  most  piercing  eyes.  The  darkest 
night  is  for  Him  just  as  bright  as  the  noonday  sun.  He 
can  see  also  all  our  thoughts.  We  can  see  only  the  out- 
side of  things.  We  can  see  only  what  is  outward  in  men. 
We  cannot  see  into  any  one's  heart.  Can  you  see  what 
N.  is  thinking  in  his  heart?  No.  What  a  person  thinks 
are  his  thoughts.  What  is  it  that  we  cannot  see  in  men? 
Their  thoughts.  But  God  sees  into  every  man's  inmost  heart. 
He  sees  all  our  thoughts,  all  our  wishes,  all  our  feelings. 
God  saw  in  King  Herod's  mind  all  his  wicked  thoughts 
and  intentions,  that  is,  all  he  intended  to  do.  What  did 
Herod  say  to  the  wise  men  when  he  sent  them  to  Beth- 
lehem? "  Go  and  find  out  the  new-born  King,  then  come 
and  tell  me,  and  I  also  will  go  and  adore  Him."  But  in 
his  heart  Herod  thought  (meant)  differently.  What 
wicked  thoughts  had  he?  Did  the  wise  men  know  them? 
Did  the  scribes,  did  Joseph  and  Mary  know  Herod's  secret 
thoughts?  Herod  had  told  no  one  of  these  his  secret 
thoughts.  Although  the  wise  men  did  not  know  them,  yet 
they  did  not  go  back  to  Herod,  but  returned  home  by  an- 
other road.  And  why?  Because  God  had  told  them  not 
to  go  back  to  Herod.  And  why  did  God  command  that 
to  them?  Because  Herod  intended  to  kill  the  Infant  Jesus. 
Who  knew  Herod's  secret  thoughts?  God  knew  them. 
God  knows  every  one's  most  hidden  thoughts,  because  He 
reads  in  every  one's  mind. 


GOD  KNOWS  ALL  THINGS  17 

When  you  are  in  the  school-room,  you  see  all  that  is 
done  there,  you  hear  all  that  is  said  there.  (The  same  in 
church.)  Where  is  God?  Everywhere.  Therefore  God 
sees  all  that  is  done  everywhere.  He  sees  all  you  do,  when 
you  are  at  home,  in  church,  in  school,  in  the  street,  in  the 
places  where  no  person  sees  you,  by  day  and  by  night.  He 
sees  when  you  are  obedient,  when  you  are  good,  when  you 
are  doing  anything  bad.  He  sees  everything  that  is  done 
in  the  whole  world.  He  knows  how  many  stars  there  are, 
how  many  grains  of  sand,  leaves,  drops  of  water,  plants, 
insects,  animals  and  men,  and  all  that  they  do.  God  knows 
every  man,  everything  each  one  does,  each  one's  most  hid- 
den thoughts.     In  a  word,  He  knows  all  things. 

Summary.  How  much  does  God  know?  How  much 
does  He  see?  What  thoughts  does  He  see?  Does  God 
know  all  things? 

Application.  James  and  his  sister  Anna  were  alone  at 
home,  for  their  mother  had  gone  out.  James  tried  to  coax 
Anna  to  go  with  him  to  the  pantry  to  eat  preserves.  Anna 
said :  "  It  is  wrong  for  us  to  do  so.  Mother  forbade 
us."  But  James  said:  "There  is  nobody  here;  and  no 
one  will  see  us."  But  Anna  replied :  "  I  will  not  go ;  it 
is  a  sin;  God  sees  us."  What  do  you  think  of  James? 
Was  Anna  right?  Yes.  Remember  that,  when  your 
parents  are  not  at  home,  you  are  not  all  alone;  for  God 
is  there  and  sees  you.  Some  children  sometimes  miss  Mass 
on  a  Sunday,  or  stay  away  from  school,  under  the  pretext 
of  being  sick;  but  how  often  is  that  a  lie!  The  teacher 
may  be  deceived,  but  God  cannot  be  deceived,  for  He  sees 
and  knows  all  things.  After  death  every  one  of  us  shall 
have  to  give  God  an  account  of  every  bad  word  and  bad 
act,  of  every  bad  thought  and  bad  wish.  Therefore,  bad 
boys  and  bad  girls  must  fear,  because  God  will  punish 
them.  Good  children  need  not  be  afraid,  for  God  will 
reward  them  in  heaven  for  every  good  thought,  good  word 


18  APOSTLES'  CREED 

and  good  deed.     God  knows  they  are  fond  of  prayer,  that 
they  behave  in  church,  are  obedient,  tell  the  truth,  etc. 

5.  God  is  eternal. 

Object.  You  will  hear  to-day  how  long  God  lives. 
Development  —  Everything  has  a  beginning.  When 
does  school  begin  in  the  morning?  School  has,  then,  a 
beginning.  When  does  the  sun  rise?  What  begins  then? 
The  day.  The  day  has  a  beginning.  Many  days  make  a 
year.  How  do  you  call  that  day  on  which  the  new  year 
begins?  New  Year's  day.  How  old  are  you?  Therefore 
twenty  years  ago  none  of  you  were  born.  What  have  each 
of  you  had?  A  beginning.  A  hundred  years  ago  your 
parents  were  not  yet  born.  They  also  had  a  beginning. 
This  town  was  not  yet  here  a  thousand  years  ago.  It  also 
had  a  beginning.  A  million  years  ago  there  were  not  yet 
any  sun,  moon  or  stars.  They  all  had  a  beginning.  All 
that  we  see  around  us  had  a  beginning. 

God  has  no  beginning.  Who  made  all  things?  God  was 
already  before  there  were  any  earth,  sun,  moon  and  stars. 
He  saw  how  all  of  them  had  a  beginning.  Heaven  and 
earth,  plants,  fishes,  birds,  animals,  all  began.  God  was 
already  long  before  all  of  them.  God  always  was,  for 
He  had  no  beginning.  (Repeat  with  appropriate  ques- 
tions.) What  has  everything  in  the  world,  which  God  has 
not?     A  beginning. 

The  world  has  an  end.  The  things  in  the  world  do  not 
always  remain.  The  flowers,  now  in  bloom,  will  wither 
and  die,  and  disappear;  they  will  have  an  end.  The  same 
will  happen  to  all  plants,  animals;  to  all  our  clothing,  to 
all  our  houses.  Our  bodies  will  die,  rot  and  disappear. 
No  matter  how  young,  healthy  and  strong  you  are,  you 
shall  have  an  end;  death  will  come,  and  take  you  out  of 
this  world.     The  sun,  moon  and  stars  will  fall  from  heaven, 


GOD  IS  ETERNAL  19 

and  fire  will  destroy  this  earth  and  all  it  contains.     There- 
fore the  whole  earth  will  one  day  have  an  end. 

God  alone  has  no  end.  Only  One  will  be  always.  Who  is 
it  ?  God.  Even  if  every  creature  would  disappear  and  end, 
God  will  still  be.  God  has  no  end.  What  is  it  that  God 
has  not?  An  end.  What  else  has  He  not?  A  beginning. 
God,  therefore,  had  no  beginning  and  shall  have  no  end. 
God  is  always.  God  is  eternal,  that  is,  without  beginning 
and  without  end. 

God  remains  forever.  God  was  before  all  time ;  before 
there  was  any  day,  any  year.  He  was  before  all  things 
and  all  time.  At  the  end  of  the  world  "  time  shall  be  no 
more."  No  more  days,  no  more  years ;  it  will  then  be 
always;  eternity;  and  God  remains  forever.  (Repeat  with 
appropriate  questions.) 

Summary.  Had  God  a  beginning?  Will  He  have  an 
end  ?  No ;  God  is  always ;  He  is  eternal ;  He  is  without 
beginning  and  without  end.  He  is  before  all  time;  He  re- 
mains forever. 

Application.  How  long  the  eternal  God  lives,  we  can- 
not even  imagine.  Have  you  not  already  seen  a  little 
canary  bird  in  a  cage  drinking  out  of  his  little  glass?  The 
glass  contains  only  a  little  water.  The  bird  drinks  only 
a  little  at  a  time,  but  often ;  but  he  cannot  empty  the  little 
glass  in  a  day.  How  much  water  is  there  in  the  ocean? 
Suppose  every  thousand  years  a  little  bird  would  come  and 
drink  one  little  drop  of  water  out  of  the  ocean.  Oh,  how 
long  would  it  take  that  little  bird  to  drink  all  the  water 
in  the  ocean,  and  entirely  empty  the  ocean !  And  yet  after 
he  would  have  drunk  the  whole  ocean  dry,  not  one  minute 
of  eternity  would  have  passed  away;  eternity  would  not 
have  become  one  minute  shorter!  And  God  lives  always, 
without  end.  How  old  is  God?  Old  men  have  grey  hair 
and  grey  beards ;  and  God  is  so  painted ;  why  ?  Old  people 
at  last  die.     Can  God  die? 


20  APOSTLES'  CREED 

I  will  now  relate  an  anecdote  of  a  woman  who  dreamt 
that  God  had  died.  There  was  a  workman  and  his  wife; 
they  were  very,  very  poor,  and  became  poorer  every  day. 
At  last  they  had  nothing  to  eat.  The  man  said :  "  Oh, 
if  I  could  die !  "  His  wife  said :  "  Do  not  speak  so ;  God 
has  always  helped  us;  He  will  help  us  again."  But  the 
man  would  not  believe  her,  and  became  very  gloomy.  She 
also  got  sad,  and  would  not  eat  any  more.  This  continued 
for  two  days.  He  asked  her :  "  What  is  the  matter  with 
you?  Why  are  you  so  sad?"  She  replied:  "Oh,  I  had 
an  awful  dream.  I  dreamt  I  saw  God  lying  in  His  coffin. 
His  long  hair  was  white  like  silver,  and  the  angels  stood 
around  in  a  circle,  and  were  weeping.  Oh,  how  unfortunate 
we  are,  since  God  cannot  help  us  any  more,  for  He  is 
dead."  The  man  then  burst  out  laughing,  and  said  to  her : 
"  How  stupid  you  are !  do  you  not  know  that  God  cannot 
die?  That  God  is  eternal,  that  He  always  was  and  always 
will  be  ? "  She  then  said :  "  Oh,  you  know  that  too ! 
And  why  do  you  imagine  that  God  will  not  help  us  any 
more?  He  is  almighty,  goodness  itself,  and  has  promised 
to  help  those  who  trust  in  Him."  This  cured  her  husband 
of  his  melancholy.  Dear  children,  no  matter  what  misfor- 
tunes may  come  to  you,  do  not  despond ;  even  if  your 
parents  were  to  die.  Trust  in  the  good  God,  and  He  will 
always  care  for  you. 

6.  The  Blessed  Trinity. 

N.  B.  As  an  object  lesson  bring  along  three  equal  pieces 
of  a  wax  candle. 

Object.  I  will  speak  to  you  to-day  of  God,  of  the 
Father,  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Development  —  The  Father,  a  divine  Person.  What  sign 
do  we  make  when  we  begin  our  prayers?  The  sign  of 
the  cross.  Make  it,  John.  What  do  you  say  when  you 
put  your  right  hand  to  your  forehead  ?    "  In  the  name  of  the 


THE  BLESSED  TRINITY  21 

Father."  The  Father  you  mention  is  God  the  Father,  who 
is  in  heaven.  Every  child  has  a  father  at  home.  The 
father  at  home  is  a  person ;  the  mother  is  a  person ;  each 
child  is  also  a  person.  Mention  other  persons.  The  priest, 
the  teacher.  Your  father  is  a  man ;  therefore  he  is  a  hu- 
man person ;  and  you  and  your  mother  are  also  human  per- 
sons. The  Father  in  heaven  is  also  a  person ;  but  He  is  not 
a  man.  What  is  He?  God.  Therefore  He  is  a  divine 
Person.     (Repeat  with  appropriate  questions.) 

The  Son,  a  divine  Person.  In  making  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  what  do  you  say  when  you  put  your  right  hand  to 
your  breast?  "And  of  the  Son."  "John,"  your  father 
says  to  you,  "  you  are  my  son."  To  Mary  he  says  also : 
"  Mary,  you  are  my  daughter."  What  does  your  father 
say  to  you,  Fred?  To  you,  Rose?  God  the  Father  in 
heaven  also  has  a  Son.  He  is  called  Jesus  Christ.  He 
died  for  us  on  a  cross.  Look  at  the  crucifix ;  it  is  His 
image.  It  is  He  whom  we  mean,  when  we  say :  "  And 
of  the  Son."  The  Son  of  God  is  also  a  person.  He  is 
God  also  like  His  Father.  What  kind  of  person  is  God 
the  Son?    A  divine  Person.     (Repeat.) 

The  Holy  Ghost,  a  divine  Person.  What  do  we  say 
when  we  put  our  right  hand,  first  to  the  left,  and  then 
to  the  right  shoulder  ?  "  And  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen." 
The  Holy  Ghost  is  also  a  person.  He  is  God,  like  the 
Father  and  the  Son.  What  kind  of  person  is  the  Holy 
Ghost?  A  divine  Person.  (Repeat  with  appropriate  ques- 
tions.) 

The  three  divine  Persons.  Count  the  divine  Persons. 
How  many  are  there  ?  Three  divine  Persons :  the  Father, 
the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  Father  is  the  first  Per- 
son; the  Son  is  the  second  Person,  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  the  third  Person.  How  is  the  first  Person  in  God  called  ? 
The  second?  The  third?  How  many  Persons  in  God? 
Three.     Name  them. 

Each  Person  is  true  God.     I  have  here  three  small  can- 


22  APOSTLES'  CREED 

dies.  What  are  all  three  made  of?  Of  wax.  Compare 
them  with  one  another.  They  are  all  of  the  same  size; 
the  first  is  not  larger  than  the  second,  nor  the  second  larger 
than  the  third;  all  three  are  equal  to  one  another.  Is  any 
one  of  them  thicker  or  longer  than  any  of  the  other  two? 
In  like  manner  the  three  divine  Persons  are  equal  to  one 
another  in  all  things.  God  the  Father  is  infinitely  great. 
How  great  is  God  the  Son?  How  great  is  God  the  Holy 
Ghost?  How  great  are  the  three  divine  Persons?  All 
three  are  infinitely  great.  Infinite  means  without  end, 
without  limits.  (Repeat  a  similar  explanation  to  show 
that  none  of  them  is  older  than  the  others;  all  are  equally 
eternal,  without  beginning,  without  end,  without  limits. 
Also  to  show  that  they  are  all  three  equally  almighty. 
Then  briefly  repeat  all  the  above  by  asking  appropriate 
questions.)  Because  the  Father  is  infinitely  great,  eternal, 
almighty,  He  is  true  God.  Because  the  Son  is  infinitely 
great,  etc.,  He  is  true  God.     Likewise  the  Holy  Ghost. 

The  three  divine  Persons  are  only  one  God.  If  you  were  to 
count  as  follows:  The  Father  is  God  (lift  up  one  finger)  ; 
the  Son  is  God  (lift  up  another  finger)  ;  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  God  (lift  up  a  third  finger)  ;  how  many  Gods  would 
that  be?  But  to  count  up  in  this  manner  would  be  en- 
tirely wrong,  for  there  is  only  one  God.  The  three  divine 
Persons  are  only  one  God.  You  cannot  understand  how 
that  is ;  neither  can  I,  nor  can  any  one  else,  for  it  is  a  great 
and  deep  mystery. 

Illustrate  with  the  three  candles.  I  light  these  candles. 
How  many  candles  do  I  hold?  Three.  How  many  lights 
(flames)  ?  Three.  But  now  I  put  them  together.  I  have 
three  candles,  but  only  one  flame,  one  light.  So  it  is  with 
the  three  divine  Persons.  As  the  three  candles  put  to- 
gether have  only  one  and  the  same  flame  (light),  so  the 
three  divine  Persons  are  but  one  and  the  same  God. 

The  Blessed  Trinity.  The  three  divine  Persons  together 
are  called  the  Blessed  Trinity.     Trinity  means  three  Per- 


THE  BLESSED  TRINITY  23 

sons  in  one  God.  How  do  we  call  the  three  divine  Per- 
sons together?  The  three  divine  Persons  together  are 
called  the  Blessed  Trinity. 

Each  of  the  three  divine  Persons  is  good  to  us.  God 
the  Father  created  us;  you  and  you,  every  one  of  you; 
otherwise  none  of  you  would  be  in  the  world.  Fred,  what 
good  did  God  the  Father  do  for  you?  God  the  Father 
created  me.  It  was  the  will  of  God  the  Father  that  all 
men  should  go  to  heaven.  But  our  first  parents,  Adam 
and  Eve,  sinned,  and  God  closed  heaven  against  them  and 
their  descendants,  against  all  men.  Then  God  the  Son 
came  down  from  heaven  on  the  earth  and  became  man. 
He  died  for  all  men,  for  each  man,  for  every  one  of  you, 
on  the  cross,  and  opened  heaven  again  to  men,  so  that  we 
can  now  go  to  heaven.  Wherefore  we  say :  God  the  Son 
redeemed  all  men,  each  one  of  us.  What  good,  what  benefit 
did  God  the  Son  bestow  on  you?  He  redeemed  me.  The 
Holy  Ghost  also  has  done  much  good  to  us.  When  you 
were  a  little  baby  the  priest  baptized  you.  Then  the 
Holy  Ghost  came  into  your  soul  and  made  it  holy  and 
wonderfully  beautiful.  He  whose  soul  is  holy,  is  fit 
to  go  to  heaven.  What  good  did  the  Holy  Ghost  do  to 
you?  He  sanctified  my  soul,  that  is,  He  made  it  holy. 
(Repeat.) 

Summary.  Is  each  Person  of  the  Blessed  Trinity  true 
God?  Are  the  three  Persons  but  one  and  the  same  God? 
What  is  the  Blessed  Trinity? 

Application,  i.  I  will  now  tell  you  something  about 
the  three  divine  Persons  of  the  Blessed  Trinity.  When 
Jesus  was  thirty  years  old,  He  went  to  the  river  Jordan, 
where  many  people  came  to  St.  John  to  be  baptized.  They 
went  into  the  river,  and  St.  John  poured  water  over  their 
heads.  Jesus  also  came  to  him  to  be  baptized.  When 
Jesus  came  out  of  the  river,  He  knelt  down  and  prayed. 
The  heavens  opened,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  form  of 
a  beautiful  white   dove,   came   down   and   remained   over 


24  APOSTLES'  CREED 

His  head,   and  a  voice   from  heaven  was  heard   saying: 
"  This  is  My  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well  pleased." 

Who  came  to  St.  John  to  be  baptized?  Jesus.  Jesus 
is  the  Son  of  God.  What  did  Jesus  do  after  He  was  bap- 
tized? When  He  was  praying  a  voice  was  heard  from 
heaven.  What  did  it  say?  Who  can  call  Jesus  His  Son? 
The  Father  of  Jesus.  Who  is  the  Father  of  Jesus?  God 
the  Father  in  heaven.  Who  was  over  the  head  of  Jesus? 
The  Holy  Ghost  in  the  form  of  a  dove.  Here  you  have 
the  three  divine  Persons  of  the  Blessed  Trkiity.  What 
did  the  Father  do  ?  What  did  the  Son  do  ?  What  did  the 
Holy  Ghost  do? 

2.  We  sometimes  see  a  picture  of  the  Blessed  Trinity. 
Here  is  one.  Show  me  God  the  Son.  How  do  you  know 
that  it  represents  Him?  How  can  you  distinguish  the. 
Holy  Ghost?  How  does  the  Father  look?  Like  a  vener- 
able old  man.  Why?  How  do  you  call  the  three  divine 
Persons?     The  Blessed  Trinity. 

3.  Each  of  the  divine  Persons  did  much  good  to  us. 
What  did  the  Father  do?  What  did  the  Son  do?  What 
did  the  Holy  Ghost  do?  We  can  never  thank,  honor  or 
praise  them  enough.  Say  the  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  etc. 
Say  another  prayer  in  their  honor.  The  sign  of  the  cross. 
What  do  you  do,  when  you  say  that?  By  this  sign  we 
honor  the  Blessed  Trinity. 

7.  God  cares  for  the  world.    God  is  good. 

Transition.  You  have  learned  that  God  created  the 
world.  What  did  God  create  in  the  heavens?  What  did 
He  create  on  earth? 

Object.  You  will  now  hear  what  God  still  does  for  the 
world. 

Development,  i.  God  causes  the  world  to  continue  to 
exist.  The  grass,  plants,  trees,  birds,  animals  and  men 
that  God  created  in  the  beginning,  are  no  longer.     And 


GOD  CARES  FOR  THE  WORLD  25 

yet  there  is  grass,  there  are  trees,  vegetables,  fruits  and 
flowers.  And  God  causes  them  to  grow.  But  what  must 
men  do,  in  order  to  have  vegetables,  fruits,  etc.?  They 
must  sow  their  seeds.  And  trees?  They  must  sow  or 
transplant  them.  Each  plant  has  its  own  seed.  It  is  God, 
who  enables  them  to  have  seed.  How  wonderful !  A  man 
sows  in  the  ground  a  grain  of  wheat,  of  corn,  a  peach- 
stone,  an  apple-seed,  a  piece  of  a  potato,  and  the  grain  grows 
and  produces  hundreds  of  other  grains ;  the  piece  of  a  potato 
grows  and  produces  sometimes  many  dozens  of  whole  po- 
tatoes. And  of  these  other  grains,  when  planted,  each 
produces  hundreds  of  others.  (Illustration  may  be  pro- 
longed and  diversified  according  to  the  products  of  each 
region.) 

Plants  grow  from  seeds.  But  where  do  the  little  birds 
come  from?  And  the  fowls?  From  eggs  laid  and  hatched 
by  the  older  ones.  Horses,  cows,  cats  gets  little  ones,  and 
these  grow  up,  and  also  get  little  ones,  and  so  on.  God 
cares  for  all. 

The  sun,  moon  and  stars  are  in  the  heavens  as  God 
created  them.  They  continue  to  do  what  God  has  created 
them  for.  The  sun  still  gives  us  light  and  warmth,  the 
moon  lights  up  the  night,  and  the  stars  shine  and  twinkle 
at  night.  Tell  me  how  God  cares  for  the  world ;  for  plants ; 
for  birds  ;  for  animals  ;  for  the  sun,  etc. 

God  cares  for  young  animals.  Where  are  the  little  birds 
at  first?  In  the  nest  made  by  the  older  ones,  where  they 
were  hatched.  To  grow  larger  and  strong,  to  be  able  to 
fly,  they  must  eat.  But  how  can  they  get  food?  The 
older  ones  bring  them  worms,  etc.,  and  feed  them  as  a 
mother  feeds  her  baby  with  a  spoon  of  mush,  and  keep 
them  warm  at  night  by  covering  them  with  their  wings, 
If  the  older  birds  did  not  do  this,  the  little  ones  would 
perish.  Who  taught  the  older  ones  to  procure  food  for 
the  little  ones,  to  feed  them  and  keep  them  warm?  God. 
God  cares  for  the  older  ones,  by  enabling  them  to  find 


26  APOSTLES'  CREED 

worms,  insects,  grains  of  wheat,  corn,  etc.  He  cares  for 
them  in  winter,  lest  they  should  freeze ;  He  makes  them 
fly  South  for  hundreds  of  miles  to  a  warmer  climate,  and 
come  back  in  time  for  warmer  weather.  The  birds  that 
stay,  get  a  thicker  coat  of  feathers  to  keep  them  warm. 
The  cattle  have  also  a  thicker  coat  of  hair  in  winter. 

God  cares  for  the  plants.  How  beautiful  are  the  flowers! 
The  snow-white  lilies,  the  forget-me-nots  with  their  blue 
mantle;  also  the  fruit-trees  in  spring  with  their  beautiful 
blossoms,  the  orange  trees  with  their  sweet-scented  blos- 
soms !  No  King  is  so  beautifully  clothed  as  they !  In 
winter  the  ground  is  covered  with  snow  to  protect  certain 
plants,  and  to  prevent  the  ground  from  freezing  too  deep, 
otherwise  nothing  could  grow  in  spring,  for  it  would  take 
too  long  to  thaw  the  ground.  Winter  is  to  the  earth  and  to 
plants  what  sleep  is  to  us. 

Recapitulation.  For  which  things  does  God  care? 
Animals,  plants.  God  cares  for  His  creatures,  for  the 
beings  He  created. 

Application.  God  cares  for  even  the  smallest  creature, 
and  has  provided  for  it  means  of  subsistence.  (How  the 
egg  of  a  butterfly  becomes  a  worm,  a  caterpillar,  and  lastly 
a  butterfly.)  He  who  cares  for  all  things,  cares  also  for 
me. 

2.  God  cares  as  a  father  for  us  His  children.  Who  cares 
for  you  at  home?  Father  and  mother.  They  reflect  and 
work  all  day,  so  that  nothing  may  be  wanting  to  you. 
For  whom  especially  do  they  work?  For  their  children. 
And  why  do  they  do  so?  Because  they  love  their  children. 
Father  and  mother  love  you  more  than  all  else  in  the  world. 
But  far  better  than  your  father  and  mother  care  for  you, 
does  God  care  for  all  His  creatures.  Therefore  call  God 
also  your  Father.  He  is  the  Father  of  the  whole  world. 
Where  does  He  dwell?  In  heaven.  Therefore  we  call 
Him  our  Father  in  heaven,  our  heavenly  Father.  More 
than  your  father  and  mother  at  home  does  God  love  you. 


GOD  CARES  FOR  US  27 

He  cares  for  us  with  a  special  love.  You  know  already 
how  He  cares  for  birds,  for  animals.  They  sow  not,  they 
reap  not,  nor  do  they  lay  up  into  barns,  and  yet  they  have 
their  daily  food.  They  have  no  other  wants,  and  they  are 
so  joyful.  And  does  not  God  esteem  you  far  more  than 
a  little  bird?  You  are  children  of  God.  Look  at  the 
flowers ;  they  work  not  in  summer,  do  not  spin  in  winter, 
nor  do  they  sew,  and  yet  they  are  more  magnificently 
clothed  than  the  richest  monarch.  If  God  so  cares  for 
flowers,  how  much  greater  care  will  He  bestow  on  you ! 
Are  you  not  worth  more  than  a  little  flower?  You  all 
are  God's  beloved  children.  Let  us  see  how  He  cares  for 
you. 

God  gave  you  parents,  that  is,  a  father  and  a  mother, 
saying  to  them :  "  Here  is  this  dear  child ;  care  for  it ; 
give  it  all  it  needs."  And  to  enable  them  to  do  this  well, 
God  gave  them  a  deep  love  for  you.  You  are  to  grow 
larger  and  stronger.  What  do  you  need  for  this?  Who 
gives  you  food?  Your  parents  give  you  .  .  .  (enumerate 
some  of  the  foods,  such  as,  bread  made  from  wheat  flour, 
meat,  milk,  eggs  from  animals,  fruits  from  trees.)  Who 
made  the  wheat  and  the  fruit-trees  grow?  Who  made  the 
cows,  the  cattle,  the  chickens?  Therefore  we  pray  daily 
to  God :  "  Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  give  us  this 
day  our  daily  bread  "  (food). 

You  are  all  well  and  comfortably  clothed.  Of  which 
things  are  your  clothes  made?  Hemp,  cotton,  wool, 
leather ;  plants,  sheep  and  cattle.  Who  made  these  ?  Who 
then  cares  for  your  clothing?  At  night  you  sleep  in  a 
warm,  soft  bed  of  moss,  etc.  Who  made  these  things  grow  ? 
God  cares,  then,  for  you  during  the  night.  How  many 
sick  persons  cannot  sleep  at  night,  on  account  of  their  great 
pains  ?  And  you  get  up  in  the  morning  refreshed  and  with 
a  good  appetite.     Who  has  cared  for  you? 

God  loves  some  children  with  a  special  love ;  He  calls 
them   to   Himself   in  heaven,   when  they  are  yet   infants. 


28  APOSTLES'  CREED 

How  happy  they  are!  How  good  it  is  for  them  to  go 
straight  to  heaven !  We  should  not  grieve  over  them. 
You  now  see  how  God  loves  all  men  as  His  children  and 
cares  for  them.  God  made  for  men,  His  children,  every- 
thing in  the  world;  the  sun,  moon,  stars,  flowers,  plants, 
fruits,  birds,  fishes,  all  animals.  From  heaven  God  looks 
down  on  all  men;  He  hears  their  prayers;  He  helps  them 
in  their  wants.  Your  parents  cannot  always  help  you; 
but  your  heavenly  Father  can  always  help  you.  If  your 
father  at  home  dies,  you  still  have  a  Father  in  heaven, 
the  best,  the  most  loving  and  powerful  of  fathers.  For 
whom,  then,  does  God  care  with  a  special  love?  For  us, 
His  children. 

Divine  Providence.  Sometimes  God  allows  misfortunes 
to  happen  to  men.  Even  this  is  a  mark  of  His  love  for 
them.  A  very  holy  man  wished  to  go  by  sea  to  a  certain 
place.  He  was  just  about  to  enter  the  ship,  when  he  fell 
down  and  broke  his  leg.  He  had  to  remain  on  land  until 
his  leg  would  be  healed.  His  servant  was  very  mad  be- 
cause they  had  to  remain  where  they  were.  But  the  holy 
man  told  him  not  to  get  mad,  saying :  "  All  that  God  does 
is  good.  Who  can  now  tell  why  He  allowed  my  leg  to 
get  broken?  "  They  were  told  later,  that  the  ship  on  which 
they  intended  to  embark,  was  wrecked,  and  that  all  on 
board  had  been  drowned.  The  saint  and  his  servant  would 
also  have  been  drowned,  if  he  had  not  broken  his  leg. 
So  you  see  that  what  at  first  appeared  to  be  a  misfortune, 
was  a  real  blessing.  Why?  Therefore  all  that  God  does, 
is  good.  Nothing  can  happen  without  God  knowing  it. 
He  knows  how  many  hairs  we  have  on  our  head,  and 
not  one  of  them  falls  off  without  His  knowing  it. 

Often  God  sends  misfortunes  to  the  wicked  who  will  not 
obey  Him.  He  sends  sickness,  fearful  storms,  hailstorms, 
frost,  cyclones,  floods,  etc.,  which  destroy  houses,  plants, 
fruits,  etc.,  and  the  people  get  poor  and  suffer  want.  He 
does  this,  that  they  may  reflect  on  how  wicked  they  have 


GOD'S  PROVIDENCE  29 

been,  pray  to  Him,  repent  of  their  sins,  be  converted  and 
lead  a  good  life.  If  they  remain  good,  where  will  they  go 
after  death?  How  many  there  are,  who,  if  they  had  not 
met  with  misfortune,  would  have  remained  bad,  and  would 
never  go  to  heaven,  but  would  be  condemned  to  the  ever- 
lasting fire  of  hell. 

Summary.  What  does  God  always  do  for  the  world? 
He  cares  for  all  His  creatures.  For  whom  does  God  care 
with  special  love?  God  cares  especially  for  us,  His  chil- 
dren. God's  care  for  the  world  and  all  creatures  is  called 
Divine  Providence. 

Application,  i.  You  now  see  how  good  God  is  towards 
us.  What  does  a  good  child  say  to  him  who  makes  him  a 
nice  present?  You  have  perhaps  already  seen  your  mother 
give  some  money,  or  some  food,  to  a  poor  person.  What 
did  the  poor  person  then  say?  And  if  he  did  not  say  it, 
does  not  your  mother  remark :  "  That  person  does  not 
even  say  '  Thank  you.'  "  Little  Bertha,  coming  home  one 
day  from  school,  found  there  a  basket  of  fine  apples,  which 
her  godmother  had  sent  her.  She  exclaimed :  "  Oh,  how 
good  is  my  godmother  to  me.  Mother,  may  I  not  go  at 
once  to  thank  her  for  her  loving  kindness?"  "Yes,"  re- 
plied her  mother,  "  it  is  right  for  you  to  go  to  thank  her." 

Dear  children,  you  receive  every  day  from  God  a  thou- 
sand times  more  than  Bertha  received  from  her  godmother. 
God  daily  gives  you  your  life,  food,  drink,  etc.  What  do 
you  owe  to  God  for  all  this?  How  do  you  thank  Him 
for  it?  Do  you  pray  before  and  after  your  meals?  What 
do  you  say  before  meals?  What  do  you  say  after  meals? 
Do  you  sit  down  to  eat,  and  get  up  after  eating,  without 
thinking  of  God  who  gives  you  your  food,  without  a  word 
of  prayer,  of  thanks?  Do  you  ever  think  of  thanking  God 
for  all  His  other  benefits?  How  often  must  you  be  re- 
minded of  your  morning  prayers,  of  your  night  prayers? 
Are  those  children  who  neglect  their  morning  or  their  night 
prayers,  thankful  to  God?     Children  who  do  not  pray  and 


3o  APOSTLES'  CREED 

thank  God,  are  like  animals  that  lie  down,  get  up,  eat  and 
drink  without  a  thought  of  God. 

2.  When  a  misfortune  happens  to  you,  you  should  not 
get  angry,  for  God  who  allowed  it  to  happen  to  you,  knows 
that  it  is  good  for  you.  Remember  that  nothing  happens 
without  God's  permission  and  for  our  good.  Tooth-ache, 
sickness,  and  death  in  the  family,  even  of  your  mother. 
God  permits  all  this  for  our  good,  because  He  loves  us. 

7b.  God  rules  the  World. 

Object.  I  will  tell  you  to-day  of  other  things  that  God 
does  in  the  world. 

Development  —  God  presences  all  things.  God  created 
the  world.  What  does  He  do  to  keep  it  from  perishing? 
God  preserves  the  world;  He  preserves  men,  animals, 
plants,  etc.  He  so  arranges  things,  that  there  are  always 
on  earth  men,  animals,  plants,  etc.  How  does  it  happen 
that  there  are  always  plants?  Plants  produce  seeds,  and 
seeds  planted  produce  new  plants.  Animals  grown  up  have 
young  ones;  and  the  young  after  growing  up,  also  have 
young  ones.  Birds  and  fowls  lay  eggs,  and  young  birds 
and  fowls  are  hatched  from  the  eggs.  (Repeat  here  from 
i  of  preceding  7  God's  care  for  animals,  plants,  etc.) 

God  orders  all  things.  Who  cares  for  everything  at  your 
house?  Who  in  the  school?  In  school  you  should  behave 
well,  and  study  diligently.  Are  you  allowed  to  come  when 
you  like?  To  go  out  when  you  like?  To  sit  where  you 
like?  To  do  as  you  like?  Who  would  not  suffer  or  permit 
it?  Why?  Because  everything  would  be  in  confusion; 
and  no  one  could  learn  anything.  How  long  must  you 
remain  in  school?  Where  must  you  sit?  Who  takes  care 
that  everything  is  properly  done  in  school  ?  The  teacher. 
The  teacher  keeps  order  in  the  school.  In  school  there 
must  be  order,  or  the  children  will  not  be  able  to  learn 
anything. 


GOD  RULES  THE  WORLD  31 

There  must  be  order  in  the  world.  The  sun  may  not  rise 
or  set  when  or  where  it  likes.  Where  must  it  rise  ?  Where 
must  it  set?  So  has  God  ordered  it.  The  stars  may  not 
go  where  they  like.  God  has  appointed  a  place  for  each 
star.  He  said  to  one :  "  Here  is  your  place  "  ;  to  another : 
"  There  is  yours."  They  rise  at  the  appointed  time,  not  a 
minute  too  soon,  not  a  minute  too  late.  So  it  is  in  the 
heavens.  On  earth  some  animals  (birds)  live  in  the  air, 
others  on  the  land,  and  the  rest  in  the  water.  Some  of 
the  birds  build  their  nests  in  trees,  others  on  houses,  others 
in  hedges,  and  some  on  the  ground.  Some  animals  eat 
grass  and  herbs,  others  eat  insects,  others  feed  on  nuts, 
on  fruits,  and  others  on  flesh.  Some  trees  bear  apples, 
others,  peaches,  others,  oranges,  others,  nuts.  Man  lives 
on  cereals,  eggs,  meat,  fish,  vegetables,  fruits.  There  is 
order  all  over  the  world.  Who  orders  all  things  in  the 
world?     God  orders  everything  in  the  world. 

God  directs  all  things.  God  does  not  merely  give  each 
thing  its  place.  The  driver  does  not  merely  hitch  his  horse 
to  the  wagon,  and  let  it  go  or  run  where  it  likes.  Whom 
must  the  horse  obey?  The  driver.  The  horse  must  go 
where  the  driver  wills.  Therefore  the  driver  holds  the 
reins  in  his  hands.  What  does  he  do  when  he  wishes  the 
horse  to  turn  to  the  right?  He  pulls  the  rein  on  the  right 
side.  And  to  make  the  horse  turn  to  the  left?  The  driver 
directs  his  horse  with  the  reins.  As  the  driver  directs  his 
horse,  so  God  directs  all  things  in  the  world.  It  is  God, 
and  no  one  else,  who  in  the  fall  directs  the  birds  to  fly 
hundreds  of  miles  over  rivers,  mountains  and  forests  to 
seek  a  warmer  climate  for  the  winter,  and  to  come  back  in 
the  spring.  In  like  manner,  God  directs  the  sun  in  its 
course.  He  directs  the  clouds  to  rain  where  rain  is  needed, 
and  the  rivers  in  their  course  to  the  sea.  He  directs  each 
thing  where  it  has  to  go,  and  what  it  has  to  do.  He  directs 
all  things  as  He  pleases. 

God  directs  all  things  for  good.     He  directs  (or  governs) 


32  APOSTLES'  CREED 

men  also.  Some  He  allows  to  live  long,  others  only  a  few 
years.  Some  He  allows  to  get  rich,  and  others  to  remain 
poor ;  some  to  be  healthy  and  strong,  others  to  be  weak 
and  sickly.  God  does  all  that  He  wills,  as  it  pleases  Him, 
and  as  it  is  good  for  each  one  and  for  all.  To  some  He 
sends  good  fortune,  and  misfortune  to  others.  (Repeat 
the  anecdote  of  the  saint  who  was  prevented  to  sail  in  a 
vessel  by  falling  and  breaking  his  leg.)  This  shows  how 
well  God  directed  everything  for  the  welfare  of  that  holy 
man.  God  often  sends  sickness,  or  some  misfortune,  to 
wicked  or  worldly  persons,  in  order  to  convert  them;  for 
instance,  St.  Ignatius  who  was  wounded,  and  could  find 
nothing  else  to  while  away  time  than  to  read  the  lives  of 
the  Saints. 

Summary.  The  other  day  I  explained  to  you  what  God 
does  to  preserve  the  world;  and  you  have  just  heard  how 
He  directs  and  governs  the  world.  God,  therefore,  pre- 
serves and  governs  the  world.  How  does  God  preserve 
the  world?  He  causes  the  world  to  continue,  as  it  pleases 
Him,  and  as  long  as  He  pleases.  How  does  He  govern 
the  world?  He  cares  for  all  things,  orders  and  directs  all 
things,  just  as  He  wills. 

Application.     The  same  as  in  the  foregoing  number. 

8.  The  Creation  and  Fall  of  the  Angels. 

Object.     To-day  I  will  speak  to  you  on  the  angels. 

Relation.  Before  creating  heaven  and  earth  God  cre- 
ated the  angels.  Seated  on  His  brilliant  throne,  God  said : 
"  Let  the  angels  be."  Immediately  there  were  there  many, 
very  many  angels.  They  were  brighter  than  the  sun.  And 
then  God  said  further :  "  The  angels  shall  dwell  with  Me 
in  heaven,  stand  before  My  throne  and  praise  and  adore 
Me.  They  shall  protect  men  and  bring  them  to  heaven." 
At  that  very  moment  the  angels  stood  before  the  throne 
of  God.     They  began  to  praise  and  adore  God.     The  an- 


THE  ANGELS  33 

gels  loved  God  very  much,  and  cheerfully  obeyed  Him. 
They  were  perfectly  happy. 

But  many  of  the  angels  grew  proud.  They  wished  to 
be  equal  to  God,  and  would  no  longer  obey  Him.  There 
arose  a  battle  between  the  good  and  the  bad  angels.  The 
leader  of  the  good  angels  was  Michael.  The  bad  angels 
were  conquered  by  the  good  angels  and  driven  out  of 
heaven.  And  as  lightning  comes  down  quickly  from  the 
heavens  to  the  earth,  so  the  bad  angels  fell  down  like 
lightning  into  the  abyss  of  hell.  They  suddenly  became 
fearfully  ugly  and  horrible  to  look  at.  They  are  now  called 
devils  or  demons.  But  the  good  angels  remained  in  heaven. 
God  rewarded  them  with  eternal  happiness  (bliss). 

Explanation  —  Invisible  spirits.  When  you  go  out  of 
the  house,  you  can  see  the  heavens  above  and  the  earth 
below.  How  are  the  heavens  and  the  earth  called?  The 
world  (universe).  We  can  see  the  world,  for  it  is  visible, 
and  is  called  the  visible  world. 

But  above  the  visible  heavens  is  another  heaven.  This 
heaven  we  cannot  see.  There  God  is  seated  on  His  bright 
throne.  What  did  God  say  when,  seated  on  His  throne, 
and  before  He  created  heaven  and  earth  ?  "  Let  there  be 
angels."  To  count  the  angels  is  as  difficult  as  to  count 
the  stars  in  the  heavens  on  a  clear  night.  Can  you  count 
the  stars  in  the  heavens?  No.  Why?  There  are  so 
many,  that  we  cannot  see  or  distinguish  all  of  them.  It 
is  even  much  more  difficult  to  count  the  angels.  They  are 
countless.  How  many  angels  did  God  create?  The  angels 
have  no  head ;  but  they  can  think ;  they  have  no  eyes,  but 
they  can  see ;  they  have  no  ears,  but  they  can  hear ;  they 
have  no  tongue,  but  they  can  speak;  they  have  no  hands, 
but  they  can  work.  In  a  word,  the  angels  have  no  body. 
God  Himself  has  no  body.  How  do  we  call  God,  because 
He  has  no  body?  God  is  a  spirit.  The  angels  have  no 
body.     What,  then,  are  the  angels?     The  angels  are  spirits. 

God  is   a   far  better  and   more  perfect  spirit  than   the 


34  APOSTLES'  CREED 

angels.  Compared  with  God,  the  angels  are  like  a  tiny 
spark  of  fire  compared  with  the  sun.  Because  God  is  a 
spirit,  we  cannot  see  Him ;  He  is  invisible.  The  angels 
also  are  spirits.  What,  then,  are  the  angels?  The  angels 
are  invisible.  The  angels  are  invisible  spirits.  How  many 
invisible  spirits  did  God  create?  God  created  very  many 
invisible  spirits.  When  did  God  create  these  invisible 
spirits?  Before  He  created  heaven  and  earth.  Therefore 
God  created  two  kinds  of  things.  Which  kind  did  God 
create  first?  Which  kind  did  He  create  afterwards?  Did 
God  create  something  else  besides  the  visible  world?  God 
created  also  many  invisible  spirits,  the  angels. 

All  good.  When  God  created  the  angels,  did  He  say 
where  they  were  to  dwell  ?  What  should  they  do  in  heaven  ? 
Praise  and  adore  God.  And  the  angels  did  so.  Some 
placed  themselves  around  the  throne  of  God;  others  knelt 
in  front  of  it,  joined  their  hands  and  bowed  their  heads. 
And  all  began  to  sing  very  beautifully,  in  order  to  praise 
and  adore  God.  The  angels  sang  many  hymns  in  praise 
of  God.  One  time  one  angel  would  sing  alone;  then  two 
would  sing  together;  then  all  the  angels  would  sing  to- 
gether. Sometimes  they  would  sing  so  softly  and  sweetly, 
and  then  so  loud,  that  the  whole  heaven  would  tremble. 
All  the  angels  loved  God  very  much.  They  obeyed  God 
in  everything.  It  made  them  happy  to  obey  and  please 
God.  He  who  loves  God,  prays  willingly,  obeys  well  and 
is  good.  What  were  all  the  angels  when  God  created  them  ? 
Good. 

And  all  happy.  The  angels  were  all  so  beautiful.  How 
beautifully  the  stars  twinkle  on  a  clear  night!  But  near 
the  bright  sun  a  little  star  is  almost  as  nothing.  But  an 
angel  shines  more  brightly  than  the  sun.  So  beautiful  are 
the  angels.  There  are  nine  kinds  of  angels;  each  kind 
seems  more  beautiful  than  the  others.  But  God  is  hun- 
dreds of  millions  of  times  more  beautiful  still.  The  an- 
gels  resemble  God.     The  angels  were  exceedingly  happy 


THE  ANGELS  35 

with  God  in  heaven.  Nothing  was  wanting  to  them ;  they 
had  all  they  wished.  Their  life  was  a  continual  joy  and 
pleasure.  He  who  has  continual  joy  and  pleasure,  is  truly 
happy.  What,  then,  were  all  the  angels,  when  God  created 
them?     The  angels  were  all  happy;  all  good  and  happy. 

Learned  and  powerful.  The  angels  are  very  learned  and 
smart.  Do  you  know  how  many  blades  of  grass  grow  on 
the  earth,  how  many  flowers  are  blooming,  and  the  name  of 
each  kind?  But  an  angel  knows  all  this.  An  angel  knows 
more  than  all  the  men  on  earth.  They  are  also  strong 
and  powerful.  An  angel  can  lift  with  ease  the  largest 
building,  carry  the  highest  mountain,  and  break  the  thickest 
chain  more  easily  than  you  can  break  a  small  thread.  An 
angel  by  a  single  breath  can  open  the  largest  and  heaviest 
gate  that  is  locked. 

God's  messengers.  Many  times  did  God  send  angels  on 
earth  to  men.  To  whom  did  God  once  send  an  angel  ? 
To  Mary ;  to  Joseph.  Where  did  an  angel  stand  in  the 
earthly  paradise?  To  whom  did  very  many  angels  appear 
one  night?  To  the  shepherds.  What  was  the  angel  to 
do  for  God,  when  God  sent  him  to  Mary?  When  he  was 
sent  to  St.  Joseph?  What  did  the  angel  announce  to  the 
shepherds?  All  these  angels  had  to  bring  a  message  from 
God,  and  to  speak  in  the  name  of  God.  The  angels  are 
God's  messengers.  Men  also  send  messengers  to  bring 
news  to  other  men,  or  to  transact  business  with  them  in 
their  name.  The  letter-carrier  is  a  messenger ;  also  the 
carrier  of  telegrams.  What  the  messenger  is  to  say  or 
do,  is  called  a  message.  The  angels  bring  messages  to 
men  from  God.  What  message  did  the  angel  bring  to 
Mary?     To  Joseph?     To  the  shepherds? 

Pictures  or  portraits  of  the  angels.  The  shepherds, 
Mary  and  Joseph  could  see  the  angels.  These  angels  had 
put  on  the  form  of  a  human  body,  just  as  we  put  on  a 
coat,  etc.  They  looked  like  men ;  only  they  were  much 
more  beautiful.     When  an  angel  is  painted,  he  is  painted 


36  APOSTLES'  CREED 

like  a  man,  a  child.  Look  at  the  picture  of  the  Annuncia- 
tion. Where  is  the  angel?  How  do  you  know  it  is  an 
angel?  He  looks  like  a  beautiful  large  boy,  with  wings 
on  his  shoulders.  But  angels  have  no  wings.  Birds  fly 
fast  with  their  wings.  Wings  denote  speed.  The  angels 
go  very  fast  from  place  to  place.  The  wings  spread  out 
denote  that  the  angels  are  always  ready  to  go  where  God 
sends  them. 

The  sin  of  the  angels.  For  some  time  all  the  angels 
were  good  and  happy.  They  saw  how  beautiful,  learned, 
smart  and  powerful  they  were.  What  do  children,  who 
are  beautiful  and  smart,  often  become?  Proud.  What  did 
many  angels  become,  when  they  saw  how  beautiful  and 
smart  they  were?  Many  angels  became  proud.  They 
wished  to  ascend  to  God  and  place  themselves  on  thrones 
like  His,  alongside  of  Him.  To  whom  did  they  wish  to 
be  equal?  They  wished  to  be  equal  to  God.  Therefore 
they  would  not  obey  God  any  more.  He  who  disobeys 
God,  commits  a  sin.  What  did  those  angels  commit  by 
not  obeying  God?  A  sin.  They  sinned.  They  were  no 
longer  good  angels,  and  God  was  not  pleased  with  them. 

The  punishment.  God  would  no  longer  look  at  them. 
He  spoke :  "  Put  them  out  of  heaven."  What  happened 
then  between  the  good  and  the  bad  angels?  What  is  the 
name  of  the  leader  of  the  good  angels?  Michael.  He  said 
to  the  leader  of  the  bad  angels :  "  What !  you  wish  to 
be  like  God?  Who  is  like  God?"  And  now  there  was 
a  great  battle  between  the  good  and  the  bad  angels.  But 
it  did  not  last  long,  for  God  helped  the  good  angels  and 
made  them  much  stronger  than  the  bad  ones.  And  what 
then  happened  to  the  bad  angels  ?  The  bad  angels  were  cast 
into  hell.  In  hell  there  is  a  great  and  terrible  fire.  In 
this  fire  the  bad  angels  must  burn.  They  weep  and  howl 
for  pain  and  curse  horribly.     And  that  will  last  forever ! 

Did  all  the  angels  remain  good  and  happy?  No.  Why 
not?     Many  angels  sinned.     How  did  they  sin?     How  did 


THE  ANGELS  37 

God  punish  them  for  their  sin?  They  were  cast  (precipi- 
tafed)  into  hell.  As  long  as  they  obeyed,  those  angels 
were  good  spirits.  What  kind  of  spirits  are  they  now? 
Bad  or  evil  spirits,  or  devils,  or  demons.  Who  has  seen 
a  picture  of  the  devil?  Where?  The  devil  is  thousands 
of  times  more  ugly  than  he  can  be  painted.  It  was  only 
one  sin  that  made  him  so  ugly  and  hideous. 

The  reward.  Where  did  the  good  angels  remain?  In 
heaven.  Because  they  obeyed  God,  they  were,  from  that 
time,  enabled  to  see  God  in  all  His  beauty  and  magnificence. 
Just  as  you  can  now  see  my  face,  so  the  good  angels  now 
stand  before  the  throne  of  God,  and  see  Him  face  to  face 
in  all  His  splendor  and  glory.  They  never  get  weary  ad- 
miring Him,  so  beautiful  He  is !  The  very  sight  of  God 
in  His  infinite  beauty  makes  the  angels  perfectly  happy. 
And  in  their  joy  and  happiness,  they  constantly  sing: 
"  Holy,  holy,  holy  Lord  of  hosts !  Glory  be  to  the  Father, 
and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy  Ghost."  How  long  will 
their  happiness  last?     Always;  for  all  eternity! 

Summary.  Did  God  create  anything  besides  this  visible 
world?  How  were  the  angels  when  He  created  them? 
Did  all  the  angels  remain  good  and  happy?  How  do  we 
call  the  angels  that  sinned? 

Application.  The  punishment  of  the  angels  shows  us 
how  severely  God  punishes  sin.  Like  lightning  the  wicked 
angels  were  put  out  of  the  beautiful  heaven,  and  cast  into 
the  everlasting  fire  of  hell.  How  frightful  it  must  have 
been  for  them  suddenly  to  lose  all  their  beauty  and  splen- 
dor !  How  painful  it  must  have  been  for  them  to  see 
themselves  suddenly  changed  into  ugly  and  hideous  devils ! 
And  what  for?  For  one  mortal  sin.  And  there  are  chil- 
dren who  commit  mortal  sin,  and  do  not  care  about  it ! 
They  miss  Mass  on  a  Sunday,  and  then  say :  "  It  matters 
not,  if  I  miss  Mass !  "  So  they  speak.  But  will  it  not 
matter  a  great  deal  when  they  shall  have  to  burn  for  it 
in  hell  ?     Some  eat  meat  on  Friday,  and  say :     "  There  is 


38  APOSTLES'  CREED 

nothing  wrong  in  that."  Is  there  nothing  wrong  in  com- 
mitting a  mortal  sin,  which  deserves  the  everlasting  fire  of 
hell?  Who  would  like  to  be  punished  like  the  bad  angels? 
Hence,  dear  children,  never  commit  a  mortal  sin,  not  even 
for  the  whole  world!  Remember  how  terribly  God  pun- 
ishes a  mortal  sin  in  the  next  life.  The  example  of  the 
bad  angels  should  be  a  powerful  warning  for  us.  A  single 
mortal  sin  turned  angels  into  devils!  Beware,  then,  of 
committing  a  mortal  sin. 


9.  God  is  holy  and  just. 

Object.  I  will  explain  to  you  to-day  that  God  rewards 
what  is  good,  and  punishes  what  is  bad. 

Development,  i.  God  loves  the  good.  What  were  the 
angels  when  God  created  them?  The  angels  were  good 
and  happy.  They  obeyed  God  in  all  things.  God  loved 
them  for  this.  But  God  did  not  always  love  all  the  angels. 
Which  angels  did  God  always  love  and  still  loves?  God 
loves  also  all  good  men.  There  is  a  child,  who  is  poor 
and  not  very  smart;  but  he  is  very  good.  God  loves  that 
child.  There  is  a  sick  man  lying  in  bed;  he  is  poor,  but 
pious  and  good.  God  loves  him.  There  is  a  cripple; 
there  is  also  a  man  who  has  only  one  eye ;  there  is  another 
man  who  has  only  one  leg;  but  all  three  are  good  and 
pious.  How  does  God  look  upon  them?  With  love. 
What  kind  of  persons  does  God  love?  God  loves  all  who 
are  good. 

God  detests  the  zvicked.  After  the  angels  had  sinned, 
God  did  not  love  them  any  more.  He  could  no  longer 
bear  them.  When  you  pass  in  summer  near  a  dead  ani- 
mal, such  as  a  dog,  a  cat,  which  is  already  corrupting,  you 
turn  your  face  away.  Why?  Because  you  cannot  bear 
looking  at,  staying  near  it,  or  its  offensive  odor ;  you  detest 
it.  God  has  a  greater  horror  of  the  bad  angels,  than  you 
can  have  of  rotten  dead  animals.     But  God  detests  and 


GOD  IS  HOLY  39 

abhors  far  more  than  that  a  man,  a  child  who  has  com- 
mitted a  mortal  sin.  For  instance,  there  is  in  a  large  city 
a  very  rich  man,  living  in  a  fine  house,  dressed  in  the 
height  of  fashion ;  he  is  loved  and  admired  and  envied  by 
many  people.  But  he  has  committed  a  mortal  sin  by  break- 
ing one  of  God's  commandments.  But  God  justly  detests 
him.  There  is  in  a  certain  school  a  child  who  is  very, 
very  smart,  so  well  dressed,  for  his  parents  are  rich;  all 
his  schoolmates  envy  him.  But  he  is  bad.  How  does  God 
feel  towards  him?  God  detests  him.  What  kind  of  per- 
sons does  God  detest?  Which  angels  does  God  detest? 
Which  angels  does  He  love?  And  which  persons  does 
He  love?     God  loves  the  good  and  detests  the  wicked. 

God  loves  all  that  is  good.  How  does  God  see  that  some 
one  is  good  ?  God  loves  those  who  go  regularly  to  church, 
who  are  fond  of  praying,  charitable  towards  the  poor,  who 
suffer  for  the  love  of  God.  Even  the  smallest  good  act  is 
pleasing  to  God.  For  instance,  you  please  God,  whenever 
you  devoutly  make  the  sign  of  the  cross,  obey  punctually, 
study  diligently,  behave  well  in  church,  in  school,  at  home; 
when  you  are  kind  to  your  companions.  God  is  then  greatly 
pleased  with  you,  for  He  loves  all  that  is  good. 

God  detests  all  that  is  bad  or  evil.  How  does  God  see 
that  some  one  is  bad?  God  detests  cursing,  stealing,  tell- 
ing lies,  disobedience,  quarreling,  fighting,  jealousy,  im- 
modesty, impurity,  misbehaving  in  church,  missing  Mass  on 
Sundays,  eating  meat  on  Fridays.  God  does  not  love,  but 
detests  those  children  who  commit  these  sins.  God  loves 
all  that  is  good  and  detests  all  that  is  bad  or  evil. 

Because  God  loves  all  that  is  good,  and  detests  all  that 
is  bad,  we  say  that  He  is  holy.  Why  do  we  say  that  God 
is  holy?  The  angels  also  are  holy.  The  angels  are  as 
pure  and  white  as  the  snow  that  has  fallen.  But  God  is 
more  than  a  hundred  millions  of  times  more  pure  and  holy 
than  they.  God  is  most  holy,  infinitely  holy.  What  do 
the  angels  sing  constantly  before  the  throne  of  God? 


4o  APOSTLES'  CREED 

2.  God  rewards  the  good.  God  showed  the  good  angels 
how  much  He  loves  those  who  are  good.  How  did  He 
reward  them  for  obeying  Him  ?  He  placed  them  in  heaven, 
where  they  will  be  happy  with  Him  forever.  God  rewards 
men  also  for  doing  good.  When  you  say  your  morning 
prayers  devoutly,  you  receive  a  reward  from  God.  Also 
when  you  study  well  in  school,  when  you  are  obedient  to 
your  parents,  etc. 

God  rewards  also  the  smallest  good  act.  You  need  not 
do  great  things  to  receive  a  reward  from  God.  For  in- 
stance, to  give  a  sick  person  a  drink  of  water,  is  nothing 
great,  but  God  will  reward  it,  if  it  is  done  for  His  sake. 
In  like  manner,  to  give  a  little  alms  to  a  poor  person,  to 
make  devoutly  the  sign  of  the  cross.  God  rewards  even 
the  smallest  good  act.  He  often  rewards  these  acts  on 
earth,  but  not  always,  by  enabling  men  to  prosper,  by  im- 
parting peace  and  joy  to  their  hearts.  But  it  is  only  after 
their  death  that  the  good  receive  the  greatest  reward,  for 
God  then  takes  them  up  to  heaven. 

God  punishes  the  wicked.  God  punished  the  bad  angels 
for  their  disobedience.  How  did  God  punish  them?  In 
like  manner,  God  punishes  men  also  when  they  do  evil; 
for  instance,  thieves,  murderers,  those  who  wilfully  miss 
Mass  on  Sundays.  He  punishes  the  children  also  who  do 
not  mind  their  parents. 

God  punishes  the  smallest  evil.  He  punishes  a  bad  word, 
and  even  a  wilful  bad  thought.  What  does  God  punish? 
All  that  is  evil.  God  often  punishes  in  this  world.  A 
father  punishes  his  child  with  a  rod.  God  punishes  some 
persons  by  permitting  them  to  get  sick,  to  meet  with  some 
accident  or  some  misfortune,  or  a  child's  parents  to  get 
sick,  or  his  father  to  get  out  of  work.  But  it  is  after 
death  that  He  punishes  men  most  severely  for  their  sins. 
Where  do  the  wicked  go  after  their  death? 

Connection  —  God  is  just.     What  would  you   say,  if 


GOD  IS  JUST  41 

God  would  take  the  wicked  to  heaven,  and  cast  the  good 
into  hell?  You  would  say  that  God  does  not  act  right. 
Or  if  God  would  take  all  men  to  heaven,  both  the  good 
and  the  wicked?  You  would  say  that  it  would  not  be  right 
for  God  to  treat  the  good  and  the  wicked  alike.  Or  if 
God  would  give  only  a  slight  reward  to  those  who  have 
been  very  good,  and  a  great  reward  to  those  who  have  done 
only  a  little  good?  What  kind  of  reward  will  God  give  to 
those  who  have  done  much  good?  To  those  who  have 
done  only  a  little  good?  The  more  good  a  person  has 
done,  the  greater  the  reward  which  God  will  give  him. 
And  also,  the  greater  the  evil  a  person  has  done,  the  greater 
will  be  the  punishment  he  will  receive  from  God.  God 
rewards  all  that  is  good,  and  punishes  all  that  is  evil. 
Therefore  we  say:  "God  is  just."  What  is  God?  Just; 
infinitely  just. 

Summary.  Why  do  we  call  God  just?  Why  do  we 
call  Him  holy? 

Application.  God  does  not  pay  attention  if  a  person 
is  beautiful,  rich,  smart,  or  has  a  great  name.  He  loves 
a  poor  and  a  dull  child  who  is  good,  more  than  a  rich  and 
smart  child  who  is  wicked,  or  even  not  so  good  as  the 
other  child.  God  is  infinitely  holy.  If  you  wish  to  be  with 
God  in  heaven,  you  must  become  holy,  for  only  those  who 
are  holy  are  admitted  into  heaven.  Let  us  see  how  far 
you  are  from  being  holy.  Are  you  fond  of  praying?  Do 
you  obey  as  promptly  as  the  angels?  Do  you  never  tell 
a  lie?  Do  you  always  behave  well  in  church?  You  see 
now  that  you  are  still  far  from  being  holy,  from  being 
saints.  Take  pains  henceforth  to  become  daily  more  and 
more  pious,  obedient  and  holy,  that  you  may  be  admitted 
into  heaven  to  sing  with  the  angels :  "  Holy,  holy,  holy 
the  Lord  God  of  hosts." 


42  APOSTLES'  CREED 

10.  The  Guardian  Angels. 

Object.  I  will  tell  you  to-day  how  the  good  and  the 
bad  angels  act  towards  us. 

Development  —  The  bad  angels  hate  us.  The  bad  an- 
gels hate  God,  and  constantly  curse  and  blaspheme  Him. 
If  they  only  could,  they  would  dethrone  Him  and  cast 
Him  into  hell.  But  that  is  impossible.  The  bad  angels 
hate  us  also,  because  we  are  the  image  and  likeness  of  God ; 
and  because  they  were  cast  out  of  heaven,  they  do  not 
wish  us  to  go  to  heaven,  but  would  like  to  drag  us  with 
them  into  hell.  Therefore  they  are  always  doing  all  they 
can  to  induce  us  to  commit  sin.  When  you  tell  lies,  pilfer, 
steal,  disobey,  you  can  think  that  the  devil  prompted  you 
to  do  it. 

Object.  The  good  angels  are  willing  to  help  us  to  go 
to  heaven. 

Relation.  When  you  were  born,  God  chose  for  each 
of  you  a  good  angel.  He  said :  "  In  ...  a  child  is  born  ; 
I  give  him  to  thee  as  thine  own.  Take  care  that  no  harm 
happens  to  his  body,  but  especially  that  he  do  nothing  bad. 
Now  go  to  that  child,  and  stay  near  him  day  and  night,  as 
long  as  he  lives;  and  when  he  dies,  bring  him  to  Me  in 
heaven  to  be  happy  forever."  The  angel  obeyed,  and  ever 
since  is  always  near  you  and  has  never  left  you. 

Explanation  —  The  guardian  angel  is  always  near  us. 
Who  is  always  near  you  ?  Our  guardian  angel.  Who  sent 
that  angel  to  you  ?  When  ?  What  has  your  guardian  angel 
to  do?  Take  care  of  me.  In  cities  there  are  men  ap- 
pointed (policemen)  to  watch  that  no  one  steals,  that  no 
property  be  damaged,  that  no  one  does  harm  to  his  neigh- 
bor. What  are  they  called  ?  What  must  they  do  ?  Guard 
the  life  and  property  of  the  inhabitants.  What  do  our 
angels  care  for?  Therefore  they  are  called  guardian  an- 
gels. How  do  you  call  that  angel  who  is  always  near 
you?     He  accompanies  you  to  school,  to  church,  wherever 


THE  GUARDIAN  ANGELS  43 

you  go  or  remain.     He  is  with  you  when  you  are  awake, 

and  when  you  are  asleep ;  when  you  are  praying,  studying, 

playing,  eating;  by  day  and  by  night.     He  never  leaves  you. 

The  guardian  angel  protects  our  body.     In  a  certain  city 

there  was  an  old  wall  falling  to  pieces.     A  good  woman 

was    walking    along    with    her    five-year-old    boy    holding 

her    hand.     When    they    came    near    that    wall,    the    boy 

stopped,   and   made   his   mother   stop.     She   said   to   him : 

"  Come  on."     But   he  would  not  move.     All  at  once   an 

awful  crash  was  heard,  and  down  came  the  old  wall  in 

a  cloud  of  dust.     A  few  more  steps,  and  both  mother  and 

child  would  have  been  killed  and  buried  under  the  ruins. 

When  they  reached  home,  the  mother  asked :     "  Why  did 

you    stop    suddenly    and    would    not    go    on  ? "     He    said : 

"Did  you  not  see?"     "See  what?"  she  asked  astonished. 

"  That  beautiful  youth  dressed  in  long  bright  clothes ;  he 

stood  right  before  me,  and  I  could  not  pass."     Where  did 

the  boy  stop  short?     What  did  his  mother  say  to  him? 

Did  he  obey?     In  what  direction  was  he  looking?     What 

did   he   see?     Who   was   it?     What   did   the  angel   do   to 

keep  the  boy  back?     Why?     What  then  happened?     Did 

any  harm  happen  to  the  boy  and  his  mother?     How  was 

harm  and  death  prevented  ?     Now,  dear  children,  had  it  not 

been  for  your  guardian  angel,  how  often  you  would  have 

been  hurt  when  you  fell  down,  when  you  were  playing  in 

the  streets  and  nearly  run  over  by  some  vehicle?     Who 

protected  you?     What  did  he  then  protect? 

The  guardian  angel  protects  us  in  our  soul.  There  was 
once  a  very  pious  girl  thirteen  years  old.  Her  name  was 
Agnes.  A  wicked  man  tried  to  make  her  commit  sin. 
But  she  would  not.  He  then  tried  to  force  her  against 
her  will.  But  Agnes  said :  "  You  cannot  force  me  to  do 
evil,  for  my  guardian  angel  helps  me."  The  wicked  man 
tried  to  take  hold  of  Agnes,  but  the  angel  struck  him  dead. 
What  was  the  pious  girl's  name?  What  did  the  wicked 
man  wish  her  to   do?     Who  helped  Agnes   against  him? 


44  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Hence  we  say :  "  The  angel  protected  Agnes."  Perhaps 
you  would  have  committed  sin  many  a  time;  perhaps  the 
devil  would  have  induced  you  to  sin  as  he  did  Eve;  or 
perhaps  a  bad  child  or  a  wicked  person  would  have  led 
you  into  sin;  but  your  guardian  angel  did  not  permit  it, 
and  protected  you.  Or  you  might  often  have  seen  or  heard 
evil  things,  but  your  guardian  angel  closed  or  turned  away 
your  eyes,  that  you  might  not  see  it,  or  kept  you  from 
understanding  what  you  heard.  And  thus  you  escaped 
committing  sin.  Those  sins  would  not  have  injured  your 
body,  but  your  soul  would  no  longer  be  pure  and  holy,  and 
perhaps  they  would  have  caused  you  to  be  cast  into  hell. 
Who  kept  you  from  committing  those  sins  ?  Your  guardian 
angel  protected  you.  What  did  he  protect  in  you?  Your 
soul.  What  else  does  he  protect  in  you  ?  Your  body.  Our 
guardian  angel  protects  us  in  soul  and  body. 

Our  guardian  angel  prays  for  us.  Our  guardian  angel 
prays  daily  for  us,  that  we  may  remain  good  and  pious. 
When  we  pray,  he  prays  along  with  us.  And  when  we 
pray  to  God  for  something,  he  prays  with  us  and  for  us. 
Many  sinners  would  already  be  in  hell,  if  their  guardian 
angels  had  not  interceded  with  God  for  them.  The  guard- 
ian angels  of  many  bad  children  have  prayed  to  God  to 
put  off  their  punishment,  and  give  them  another  chance  to 
become  good.  What  does  our  guardian  angel  do  for  us  be- 
fore God's  throne? 

Our  guardian  angel  admonishes  and  warns  us.  Where 
should  our  guardian  angel  bring  us  in  the  end  ?  To  heaven. 
For  this  reason  he  tries  to  keep  us  from  sin.  Have  you 
not  sometimes  gone  to  the  pantry  to  take  cakes,  sweet 
meats,  etc.,  without  permission?  Did  you  not  then  seem 
to  hear  some  one  telling  you :  "  Do  not  take  that ;  that 
is  wrong ;  God  sees  you "  ?  It  was  your  guardian  angel 
speaking  to  you.  He  warns  you  against  taking  things 
without  permission,  against  stealing,  against  cursing,  against 
disobedience,    against    going    with    bad    companions.     He 


THE  GUARDIAN  ANGELS  45 

warns  you  against  all  that  is  evil.  When  you  rise  in  the 
morning,  your  guardian  angel  reminds  you  to  say  your 
morning  prayers ;  and  at  night,  to  say  your  night  prayers. 
He  also  admonishes  you  to  go  to  church,  to  study,  to  obey, 
to  behave  well ;  in  a  word  to  all  that  is  good.  What  does 
he  warn  you  against?  When  your  parents  and  teachers 
admonish  or  warn  you,  they  speak  aloud  to  you;  but  your 
guardian  angel  does  it  silently,  for  he  speaks  only  to  your 
heart.  Pay  attention,  and  you  will  often  hear  his  voice 
interiorly  in  your  heart.  What  he  then  tells  you  is  called 
an  inspiration. 

Connection  —  The  good  and  the  bad  angels.  The  devil 
also  gives  inspirations.  The  devil  and  your  guardian  angel 
would  each  wish  to  have  you  for  himself.  Where  does 
the  devil  try  to  bring  you  to?  Where  does  your  guardian 
angel  wish  to  bring  you  to?  What  does  the  devil  inspire 
you  with?  To  what  does  your  guardian  angel  admonish 
you?  What  does  he  do  for  your  soul  and  your  body? 
What  does  he  do  for  you  before  God's  throne?  What 
does  his  conduct  towards  us  prove?  That  he  loves  us. 
All  the  other  good  angels  love  us,  and  act  towards  us  like 
our  guardian  angel. 

Summary.     What  do  the  good  angels  do  for  us? 

Application  —  Follozv  the  inspirations.  What  should 
you  do  when  your  parents  tell  you  to  do  something?  Obey. 
You  should  obey  cheerfully  and  promptly.  Your  guardian 
angel  admonishes  and  warns  you  oftener  than  your  parents. 
He  knows  all  you  think  about  and  all  you  intend  to  do. 
What  should  you  do  when  he  inspires  you  to  go  to  church, 
to  obey,  to  study,  to  keep  away  from  bad  children? 

Pray  devoutly.  One  night  there  was  a  large  house  on 
fire.  Two  children  were  sleeping  upstairs.  They  awoke 
only  when  the  house  was  already  all  on  fire.  They  could 
not  get  down  the  stairs,  for  they  were  on  fire.  The  elder 
girl  cried  out :  "  Holy  guardian  angel,  help  me,"  and  then 
jumped  out  of  the  window;  she  fell  on  the  hard  frozen 


46  APOSTLES'  CREED 

ground,  but  did  not  hurt  herself.  Then  she  said  to  her 
sister :  "  Do  as  I  did."  The  little  girl  then  said :  "  Holy 
guardian  angel,  help  me,"  and  she  also  jumped,  and  fell 
upon  the  hard  frozen  ground,  but  did  not  get  hurt.  How 
did  the  two  girls  get  out  safely  from  the  burning  house? 
How  easily  they  could  each  have  broken  a  leg,  or  even 
their  necks !  But  they  were  not  hurt  at  all.  What  did 
they  say  before  jumping?  Who  protected  them?  When 
you  are  in  any  danger  whatever,  invoke  your  guardian  an- 
gel. Invoke  him  also  when  the  devil  tempts  you  to  dis- 
obey, to  steal,  etc.,  and  when  he  fills  your  mind  with  bad 
thoughts.  But  pray  to  him  devoutly,  for  only  then  will 
he  help  and  protect  you.  Be  sure  always  to  follow  his 
inspirations  and  heed  his  warnings. 

11.  The  Creation  of  the  first  Man. 

Preparation.  Last  time  I  spoke  to  you  about  the  an- 
gels ;  to-day  you  will  hear  something  about  men.  There 
are  now  many  men  on  earth.  God  created  all  of  them. 
But  did  God  create  so  many  in  the  beginning?  No,  God 
first  created  only  one  man. 

Object.     I  will  tell  you  how  God  created  the  first  man. 

Relation.  When  God  was  about  to  create  the  first  man, 
He  said :  "  Let  us  make  man  according  to  our  own  image. 
He  shall  rule  over  all  animals  and  over  the  whole  earth." 
Then  God  made  a  human  (man's)  body  out  of  clay,  and 
breathed  into  it  a  living  soul.  It  was  in  this  manner  that 
God  created  the  first  man.  God  called  him  Adam,  that 
is,  a  man  of  clay. 

Consideration  —  Creation  of  the  body.  What  did  God 
say  when  He  was  about  to  create  man?  What  did  God 
then  make  first?  A  body.  Of  what  did  he  make  that 
body?  Out  of  clay.  That  body  had  the  appearance  of  a 
grown-up  man,  with  head,  eyes,  etc.,  etc.  It  appeared  like 
a  man's  body;  but  it  was  cold  and  stiff,  without  life,  and 


MAN'S  CREATION  47 

was  very  much  like  a  dead  body.     What  can  a  dead  body 
do  with  its  hands  and  feet,  eyes  and  ears,  etc.  ?     Nothing. 

Breathing  in  of  the  soul.  God  blew  in  the  face  of  that 
body.  Fred,  blow  into  your  hands.  Can  you  see  your 
breath?  It  is  not  visible.  But  you  feel  it.  How  is  it? 
Warm.  When  God  breathed  on  the  deathlike  cold  body, 
His  warming  breath  went  through  the  nostrils  and  mouth 
into  every  part  of  that  body.  The  heart  now  began  to 
beat,  the  whole  body  grew  warm,  the  cheeks  rosy.  W'hat 
God  breathed  into  that  body  was  invisible,  just  like  your 
breath.  The  invisible  thing  which  God  blew  into  that  body 
was  the  soul.  How  was  the  body  after  God  had  breathed 
into  it?  Alive.  The  first  man  was  now  finished.  He  did 
not  remain  lying  on  the  ground,  but  got  up,  and  began 
to  see,  to  walk  and  use  every  part  of  his  body.  (Repeat 
all  the  foregoing  in  questions  and  answers.)  The  first 
thing  God  created  in  man  was  his  body;  and  then  his  soul. 
We  are  all  men  like  Adam.  We  are  composed  of  body 
and  soul.  The  soul  is,  in  some  manner,  the  breath  of 
God. 

We  cannot  live  without  a  soul.  Although  we  cannot  see 
the  soul,  we  can  know  whether  the  soul  is  in  the  body. 
How  was  it  remarked  in  Adam?  He  got  up  and  walked; 
he  was  alive.  How  could  it  be  known  that  there  was  yet 
no  soul  in  his  body?  His  body  was  yet  cold,  stiff  and  like 
dead.  So  it  is  with  every  man.  No  man  can  live  without 
a  soul. 

The  body  is  mortal.  Every  man's  soul  shall  once  leave 
his  body;  and  his  body  will  then  be  dead.  Therefore  we 
say:  'The  body  is  mortal."  A  dead  body,  or  corpse,  is 
first  laid  in  a  coffin,  and  then  brought  to  the  graveyard. 
Where  will  it  then  be  placed?  In  the  grave,  and  then 
will  be  covered  up  with  earth.  When  after  many  (some) 
years  a  grave  is  opened,  there  is  found  in  it  only  earth 
and  dust.  What  became  of  the  body?  It  turned  grad- 
ually into  earth  and  dust.     It  was  made  of  earth.     Why 


48  APOSTLES'  CREED 

did  God  call  the  first  man  Adam?  What  became  of 
Adam's  body  after  his  death?  It  turned  into  earth  and 
dust.     We  are  made  of  dust,  and  we  shall  return  into  dust. 

The  soul  is  immortal.  Wrhat  becomes  of  a  man's  soul 
after  his  death?  It  also  returns  whence  it  came.  Whence 
did  it  come?  From  God's  breath.  The  soul  returns  to 
God,  from  whom  it  came.  If  the  soul  is  perfectly  pure, 
God  immediately  places  her  in  heaven.  If  she  is  defiled 
by  grievous  sins,  God  at  once  casts  her  into  hell.  If  she 
is  stained  with  only  small  faults,  God  places  her  in  pur- 
gatory until  she  is  entirely  purified.  After  thousands  and 
millions  of  years  the  soul  still  lives.  The  soul  cannot  die. 
So  has  our  Saviour  said.  Does  not  the  soul  die  with  the 
body  ?  No,  the  soul  never  dies.  Therefore  we  say :  "  The 
soul  is  immortal."  Wrhat  is  it  that  we  cannot  do  without 
our  soul?  Wherefrom  did  God  take  the  soul?  Repeat 
what  you  have  learnt  about  the  soul. 

The  soul  has  understanding.  You  learn  in  school  also 
reading,  writing,  arithmetic.  Animals  learn  and  remember 
many  things ;  for  instance,  the  horse  and  the  ox  learn  to 
draw  wagons,  to  plow,  to  turn  to  the  right  and  to  the  left. 
They  recognize  your  house,  their  stable,  and  stop  there  of 
themselves.  When  a  shepherd  brings  his  flock  home  in  the 
evening,  the  sheep  run  of  themselves  to  their  stable.  How 
many  things  can  some  dogs  learn !  Parrots  learn  to  say 
some  things,  and  babble  them  the  whole  day,  and  give 
wrong  and  foolish  answers  to  questions;  they  have  no 
sense,  no  understanding.  If  a  little  child  would  give  such 
queer  answers,  everybody  would  laugh  at  him.  WThat 
should  a  child  do,  before  answering  a  question  ?  He  should 
think  (reflect),  that  he  may  find  out  what  he  should  an- 
swer. If  I  ask  you:  "  What  did  you  write  the  day  before 
yesterday?"  what  should  you  do  before  answering? 
Think.  Why  does  not  the  parrot  also  think  before  an- 
swering ?  Because  he  cannot  think.  Animals  cannot  think. 
Why?     Because  they  have  no  understanding. 


MAN'S  SOUL  49 

Where  have  you  got  your  understanding?  In  my  head. 
But  animals  also  have  heads.  Do  not  forget  that  the  un- 
derstanding is  in  the  soul,  belongs  to  the  soul.  What  does 
man's  soul  possess?  Understanding.  The  soul  is  a  spirit 
and  is  immortal.  Animals  have  no  immortal  souls,  that 
are  spirits,  as  men  have.  Therefore  they  have  no  under- 
standing. Parrots  learn  from  men  how  to  prattle  certain 
words ;  but  other  animals  do  not  learn  to  speak  words.  A 
child  can  learn  how  to  speak  well.  Why?  Because  he 
has  understanding.  What  a  happiness  to  be  able  to  speak ! 
If  you  could  not  speak,  you  would  not  be  able  to  tell  your 
wants  to  your  parents  and  what  happens  to  you.  Some 
children,  however,  cannot  keep  still,  they  talk  all  the  time, 
even  in  church.  Animals  can  make  known  their  hunger 
etc.,  in  different  ways  (such  as  dogs,  chickens).  What 
is  it  that  they  cannot  do?  Why?  They  have  no  under- 
standing. 

The  soul  has  free-will.  You  have  something  else  which 
animals  have  not.  Mary  pays  a  visit  to  some  friends  who 
are  careless  Catholics.  They  invite  her  to  dine  with  them. 
It  is  Friday.  They  have  meat.  They  urge  her  to  have 
some.  But  she  remembers  it  is  Friday,  the  day  on  which 
meat  is  forbidden.  She  is  very  hungry,  and  the  meat 
looks  and  smells  so  nice.  Now  Mary,  if  she  only  wills, 
can  refuse  to  eat  and  willingly  suffer  great  hunger  rather 
than  commit  a  sin.  And,  in  fact,  she  preferred  to  remain 
hungry,  rather  than  even  taste  the  meat.  Now  an  animal 
that  is  hungry  and  has  food  before  him,  has  not  the  power 
to  keep  from  eating,  unless  through  fear  of  a  stick,  etc. 
What  is  the  difference  in  this  matter  between  men  and 
an  animal  ?  Man  has  free-will ;  an  animal  has  not.  A 
good  man  says :  "  I  will  pray,  I  will  go  to  Mass,  I  will 
work,  I  will  keep  away  from  bad  company."  Man  can, 
therefore,  do  what  he  wills ;  he  is  free ;  he  has  a  free  will. 
Animals  have  no  free-will,  because  they  have  no  spiritual 
soul.     Why  has  man  a  free  will  ?     Because  he  has  a  soul. 


50  APOSTLES'  CREED 

We  cannot  think  without  a  soul.  Man  alone  has  an 
immortal  soul.  Animals  have  not.  (Repeat  in  questions 
and  answers  the  differences  between  man  and  animals.) 
Children  forget  what  they  have  learned;  they  forget  the 
letters  of  the  alphabet.  What  must  they  then  do?  They 
must  think  over,  reflect.  Men  can  reflect;  animals  cannot. 
Why?     Because  they  have  no  souls.     Man  has  a  soul. 

//  we  had  no  soul,  we  could  not  speak.  God  knows  what 
we  think  of;  even  our  inmost,  hidden,  secret  thoughts. 
Men  cannot.  How  can  you  make  known  to  men  what  you 
are  thinking  about?  By  speaking.  You  can,  therefore, 
make  known  to  others  your  wants,  your  opinions,  and  relate 
what  you  have  done,  seen  and  heard ;  you  can  tell  them 
how  you  rejoice  with  them  in  their  good  fortune,  how 
you  sympathize  with  them  in  their  misfortunes ;  you  can 
tell  your  parents  how  you  love  them,  give  instructions, 
show  what  you  know,  consult,  ask  questions,  admonish, 
encourage,  etc.     Can  animals  do  that?     Why  not? 

Summary.  Tell  me  the  gifts  or  qualities  our  soul  pos- 
sesses. The  soul  is  a  spirit,  immortal,  possesses  under- 
standing, free-will,  the  power  of  communicating  our 
thoughts  and  feelings,  and  of  learning.  How  did  God 
create  Adam? 

Application.  You  have  heard  that  God  gave  Adam  a 
beautiful  body  and  an  immortal  soul.  Adam  knew  that 
he  had  received  all  from  God.  What  was  the  first  thing 
Adam  did  after  he  saw  that  God  had  created  him  so 
beautiful?  He  knelt  down  and  thanked  God  for  it.  God 
gave  you  also  a  body  and  a  soul  and  life.  How  good  He 
is !  Therefore  thank  God  for  it  from  your  heart,  saying : 
"  O  God,  Thou  hast  given  me  so  beautiful  a  body,  eyes 
to  see,  ears  to  hear,  a  tongue  to  speak.  How  good  art 
Thou !  I  thank  Thee  from  my  inmost  heart."  Some  chil- 
dren use  their  tongues  principally  to  tell  lies,  curse,  scold, 
speak  harshly  and  cross.  Have  you  also  done  that?  Oh, 
how  ungrateful  have  you  been  to  God !     Do  not  again  use 


MAN,  GOD'S  NOBLE  CREATURE  51 

your  tongue  in  such  a  sinful  manner.  God  has  given  you 
an  immortal  soul  to  enable  you  to  think;  should  you,  then, 
think  on  evil  things?  Your  souls  should  often  think  on 
God.  God  gave  you  a  free  will ;  you  are  able  to  do  as 
you  will,  either  good  or  evil.  But  you  cannot  do  either 
without  serious  consequences.  There  is  a  reward  for  every 
good  thing  you  do,  and  a  punishment  for  every  evil  thing 
you  do.  For  which  will  you  use  your  free-will  ?  God  gave 
it  to  you  to  do  good. 

12.  Man  is  God's  most  noble  Creature  on  earth. 

Object.  To-day  I  will  explain  what  man  is  worth  on  ac- 
count of  his  soul. 

Development  —  The  soul  is  like  unto  God.  What  is 
man's  soul?  It  is  a  spirit.  A  spirit  is  not  thick  and  coarse 
like  a  body,  but  like  the  breath,  very  fine  and  invisible. 
Who  else  is  a  spirit?  God.  Why  is  the  soul  an  image 
of  God,  or  like  God?  Because  it  is  a  spirit.  God  is  a  far 
greater  and  more  perfect  spirit  than  the  soul.  God  is  im- 
mortal. What  is  the  soul  also?  In  what  is  the  soul  sim- 
ilar to  God?  In  being  immortal.  God  knows  all  things. 
You  also  already  know  many  things.  Every  day  you  learn 
more  things.  In  what  is  your  soul  like  God?  In  being 
able  to  know  things.  But  you  cannot  know  all  things,  as 
God  does.  If  you  did,  you  would  not  only  be  like  God, 
but  would  be  His  equal.  (Institute  similar  comparisons 
between  man's  power  and  God's  omnipotence,  man's  in- 
tellect and  God's,  man's  free-will  and  God's,  etc.) 

Image  and  likeness.  Man  is  like  (similar  to)  God  in 
many  things.  A  boy  looks  like  his  father,  in  eyes,  mouth, 
nose,  hair,  gait,  and  talent.  Your  father,  for  instance, 
looks  into  a  mirror.  What  does  he  see?  His  likeness; 
the  picture  of  his  face,  eyes,  etc.,  all  like  himself.  The 
child  is  also  his  father's  likeness,  his  living  likeness,  but 
smaller  than  his  father. 


52  APOSTLES'  CREED 

The  soul  also  a  likeness  of  God.  God  wished  to  have 
on  earth  a  small  living  likeness  of  Himself.  Which  crea- 
ture did  God  say  He  would  make  like  Himself?  What  did 
God  say  when  He  was  about  to  create  man?  Man's  body 
cannot  be  a  likeness  of  God.  Why  not?  What  is  fit  in 
man  to  be  a  likeness  of  God?  His  soul.  There  must  be 
many  things  in  man's  soul  which  make  it  similar  to  God. 
We  have  already  learned  them.  (Man's  soul  a  spirit,  im- 
mortal, having  knowledge,  power,  understanding,  free- 
will.) His  soul  is  similar  to  God,  God's  likeness.  God 
created  man  after  His  image  and  likeness. 

Man  is  God's  most  noble  creature  on  earth.  Let  us  sup- 
pose two  children  stand  here  side  by  side:  a  millionaire's 
son  and  a  poor  laborer's  son.  The  millionaire's  son  has 
finer  clothes,  his  features  look  more  delicate,  he  can  talk 
nicely;  he  is  more  vain  and  proud.  His  outward  appear- 
ance is  nicer,  more  noble  than  that  of  the  laborer's  son. 
But  in  their  souls  there  is  no  essential  difference.  What 
is  the  poor  boy  in  his  soul?  The  rich  boy?  Both  are 
God's  likeness  in  their  souls. 

Now  suppose  all  the  animals  in  the  world  were  assembled 
together.  How  many  would  there  be?  How  many  large 
and  beautiful  ones!  Suppose  also  that  alongside  of  all 
the  animals  there  would  be  all  the  beautiful,  many  colored 
flowers  and  all  the  gold,  silver  and  precious  stones  in  the 
world  in  a  heap  like  a  mountain.  Now  put  in  the  midst 
of  all  these  creatures  the  poor  child  with  patched  clothes. 
He  could  hardly  be  seen,  for  he  is  so  small.  No  one 
would  care  to  look  at  him.  And  yet  that  poor  boy  has 
something  which  all  those  animals,  flowers,  gold  and  pre- 
cious stones  have  not.  What  is  it?  An  immortal  soul. 
And  his  immortal  soul  is  a  million  times  better,  more 
beautiful,  more  precious  than  all  the  animals,  flowers,  gold 
and  precious  stones  in  the  world !  After  what  was  his 
soul  created?  After  the  image  and  likeness  of  God.  He 
is  therefore  more  noble,  more  excellent  than  all  else  in 


MAN,  GOD'S  NOBLE  CREATURE  53 

the  visible  creation.  Tell  me  in  which  things  man's  soul 
is  more  excellent  than  animals. 

Man's  body  is  more  noble  than  animals.  Animals,  such 
as  the  horse,  the  dog,  walk  bent  down,  looking  towards 
the  ground,  to  show  that  they  are  made  only  for  the  earth. 
Man  walks  erect,  holding  his  head  towards  heaven,  to  show 
that  he  is  made  for  heaven.  He  has  two  hands,  and  how 
many  things  he  can  do  with  them  !  Animals  have  no  hands  ; 
they  cannot  do  what  man  can  do.  No  animal  has  such  a 
fine,  handsome  face  as  man.  And  in  his  face  his  two  eyes 
shine  like  two  stars,  and  enable  him  to  look  up  heaven- 
ward. Where  is  man  destined  to  go?  No  animal  can  go 
there.  What  must  we  do  to  reach  heaven?  We  must 
pray,  we  must  obey.  When  should  you  pray?  To  whom 
do  you  speak  when  you  pray?  You  must  love  God.  Think 
how  wonderful  it  is  to  be  able  to  speak  to  God,  to  love 
God !  God  is  so  great,  so  powerful ;  He  carries  the  whole 
world  on  His  finger.  And  with  this  great  God  you  may 
speak  in  prayer ;  you  need  not  fear  Him ;  for,  when  you 
pray,  God  bends  down  to  you  like  a  good  father  and  gra- 
ciously listens  to  you.  A  child  that  prays  is  like  the  angels 
in  heaven.  No  one  on  earth,  except  man,  can  pray.  Now 
tell  me  in  how  many  things  man's  body  is  more  noble,  more 
excellent  than  animals.  There  are  creatures  more  noble 
and  excellent  than  man.  Who  are  they?  The  angels. 
There  is  One  who  is  infinitely  more  noble  and  above  the 
angels.     Who  is  it?     God. 

Connection.  What  is  God?  What  are  the  angels? 
What  is  our  soul  ?  Who  is  the  greatest  spirit  ?  How  great 
is  God?  What  do  we  mean  when  we  say  God  is  eternal? 
Will  the  angels  ever  die?  Is  our  soul  immortal?  Our  soul 
and  the  angels  had  a  beginning.  God  had  no  beginning. 
How  much  does  God  know?  How  much  do  men  and  the 
angels  know?  How  much  can  God  do?  How  much  can 
men  do?  How  much  can  the  angels  do?  Are  the  angels 
above  men?     God  placed  men  a  little  below  the  angels. 


54  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Summary.  Whom  did  man  resemble  after  his  creation? 
What  is  man  with  regard  to  God?  His  likeness.  Are 
the  angels  more  like  God  than  men?  Why?  All  other 
creatures  on  earth  are  not  the  images  of  God.  Why?  Is 
man  more  noble  and  more  excellent  than  they? 

Application,  i.  Man  is  the  lord  of  the  other  creatures 
on  earth,  because  he  is  more  noble  and  excellent  than  they. 
God  made  him  their  lord.  What  did  God  say,  when  He 
was  about  to  create  man?  He  said:  "  Let  us  make  man 
to  rule  over  the  earth."  Man  is  the  lord  of  all  animals, 
and  also  of  the  earth  itself.  Man  therefore  uses  some 
animals  to  help  him  or  work  for  him,  to  be  useful  to  him 
in  other  ways,  such  as  the  domestic  animals ;  and  he  culti- 
vates the  earth,  and  uses  its  materials  to  build  houses,  rail- 
roads, etc.  God  rules  over  men,  and  they  must  obey  Him, 
and  not  waste  earthly  things,  for  they  are  gifts  of  God 
to  supply  their  wants. 

2.  Our  soul  is  a  wonderfully  beautiful  image  (likeness) 
of  God,  but  not  an  inanimate  image  on  paper,  etc.,  but  a 
living  image.  If  you  have  a  very  beautiful  picture,  you 
take  great  care  not  to  soil  or  tear  it.  Therefore  do  not 
defile,  soil  or  destroy  your  soul.  How  can  your  soul  be 
soiled  or  destroyed  ?  By  sin,  such  as,  telling  lies,  stealing, 
cursing,  missing  Mass  on  Sunday,  disobedience,  impure 
thoughts,  words  or  deeds.  If  another  child  would  soil 
or  damage  a  very  nice  picture  of  yours,  what  would  you 
say  ?  "  Oh,  my  fine  picture !  "  You  would  even  cry  over 
it.  And  would  not  that  child  deserve  to  be  punished? 
Therefore,  remember  that  your  soul  is  a  beautiful  image  of 
God,  most  beautiful  in  itself,  and  say :  "  I  will  never  soil 
or  defile  it  by  sinning." 

3.  You  are  created  in  the  image  of  God.  You  have 
learned  to  know  God;  you  must  continue  to  learn  still 
more  about  Him,  and  you  will  see  always  more  and  more 
how  good  God  is,  how  much  He  loves  you,  and  you  will 
be  able  to  love  Him  every  day  more  and  more.     A  child 


CREATION  OF  EVE  55 

that  loves  God  is  fond  of  praying  to  Him,  and  will  try 
to  resemble  the  angels  in  heaven  before  God's  throne.  A 
child  that  does  not  pray  is  like  a  mere  animal.  He  is  even 
worse  than  an  animal.  Why  does  not  a  beast  pray?  A 
beast  cannot  pray.  Why  does  a  child  not  pray?  Because 
he  does  not  wish  to  pray;  he  is  too  lazy  to  do  so.  There- 
fore when  you  rise  in  the  morning,  say  your  morning 
prayers;  and  before  you  retire  at  night,  say  your  night 
prayers,  and  do  not  act  like  cattle  and  other  animals.  But 
always  pray  devoutly. 

13.  The  Creation  of  Eve.    Paradise. 

1.  Preparation.  What  was  the  name  of  the  man  who 
was  alone  on  earth  in  the  beginning?  Adam.  Adam  was 
well  off.  He  had  all  that  he  wanted.  But  it  would  have 
been  more  pleasant  for  him,  if  he  had  had  company.  Sup- 
pose you  were,  like  him,  alone  in  such  a  beautiful  garden, 
and  neither  your  father  and  mother,  nor  your  brothers 
and  sisters  were  with  you.  You  would  feel  lonesome,  and 
not  perfectly  happy.  That  was  the  case  with  Adam  at  first. 
He  had  no  one  to  speak  to,  for  the  animals  did  not  under- 
stand him.     That  was  not  very  pleasant  for  Adam. 

Object.  I  will  now  tell  you  how  God  created  a  wife 
for  Adam. 

Relation.  God  said :  "  It  is  not  good  for  Adam  to 
be  alone.  Let  us  make  him  a  helpmate  like  himself." 
God  sent  a  deep  sleep  on  Adam.  Whilst  he  slept,  God 
took  one  of  his  ribs,  and  made  a  woman  of  it.  When 
Adam  awoke,  God  brought  her  to  him.  Adam  was  glad 
and  called  her  Eve ;  this  word  means  "  Mother  of  all  the 
living." 

Explanation  —  The  Creation  of  Eve.  Who  was  the 
first  man  on  earth?  Why  was  it  not  good  for  him  to 
remain  alone?  God  then  wished  to  create  a  being  like 
Adam,    having   like    him    a   body   and   an    immortal    soul. 


56  APOSTLES'  CREED 

What  could  it  be?  Only  a  human  being.  God,  therefore, 
created  a  woman  as  a  helpmate  and  companion  of  Adam. 
What  did  God  say,  when  He  was  about  to  create  woman? 
"  It  is  not  good,"  etc.  Relate  how  God  created  woman. 
What  did  He  make  her  body  of?  A  rib  is  a  bone  in  our 
side.  Animals  also  have  ribs.  You  can  see  the  marks  of 
the  ribs  on  the  skin  of  a  lean  horse. 

Adam  did  not  feel  God  taking  one  of  his  ribs,  for  he 
was  sound  asleep.  What  did  God  make  Adam's  body  of? 
And  that  of  Eve?  God  also  breathed  an  immortal  soul 
into  Eve's  body.  What  did  God  do,  when  Adam  awoke? 
You  may  be  sure  Adam  was  glad  when  he  saw  Eve.  He 
named  her  Eve.  How  many  persons  were  then  on  earth? 
Two,  Adam  and  Eve. 

Our  iirst  parents.  Adam  and  Eve  got  children,  and 
their  children  also  had  children  in  the  course  of  time. 
And  there  are  now  hundreds  of  millions  of  men  on  earth. 
All  of  them  come  from  Adam  and  Eve.  A  large  tree 
has  many  branches  and  twigs ;  all  men  on  earth  are  like 
a  large  tree.  Adam  and  Eve  are  like  the  trunk  of  the  tree, 
and  all  the  other  men  are  its  branches  and  twigs.  As  the 
branches  and  twigs  of  a  tree  come  from  its  trunk,  so  do 
all  men  come  (or  descend)  from  Adam  and  Eve.  From 
whom  do  you  descend?  Adam  is  the  ancestor  or  fore- 
father (first  father)  of  all  men,  and  Eve  is  the  mother 
of  the  living,  the  foremother  of  all  men. 

Summary.  Relate  how  Eve  was  created.  How  were 
the  first  man  and  the  first  woman  called?  Of  what  did 
God  make  Eve's  body?  What  do  we  call  Adam  and  Eve? 
Our  first  parents. 

2.  Object.  I  will  relate  to  you  how  Adam  and  Eve 
lived. 

Relation.  God  had  planted  a  wonderfully  beautiful 
garden  for  our  first  parents.  It  was  called  the  earthly 
paradise.  It  was  full  of  all  kinds  of  trees  bearing  delicious 
fruits.     In  the  center  there  was  a  great  spring,  from  which 


EARTHLY  PARADISE  57 

flowed  four  streams  of  running  water  irrigating  the  garden. 
God  placed  our  first  parents  in  paradise  to  take  care  of 
it.  God  said  to  them:  "  You  may  eat  of  the  fruits  of  all 
the  trees  in  the  garden ;  but  you  must  not  eat  of  the  fruits 
of  the  tree  in  the  middle  of  the  garden ;  if  you  eat  of 
them,  you  shall  die."  Adam  and  Eve  lived  very  happy 
in  paradise.  They  were  holy  and  just,  and  had  no  knowl- 
edge of  evil.     God  therefore  loved  them  much. 

Explanation  —  Happy  in  paradise.  What  had  God 
planted  for  our  first  parents?  What  was  that  garden 
called  ?  In  this  garden  God  placed  our  first  parents.  They 
were  to  dwell  there.  Rich  people  have  fine  houses ;  the 
rooms  are  splendidly  adorned  with  rich  carpets,  large  mir- 
rors, splendid  paintings,  silken  draperies,  etc.  But  no  rich 
man,  no  monarch  has  ever  had  so  beautiful  a  dwelling  as 
our  first  parents  had  in  paradise.  What  was  there  in 
paradise?  Beautiful  trees,  a  great  spring,  fine  rivers. 
(Enumerate  some  of  the  fruit  trees,  with  delicious  fruits 
hanging  on  them.)  There  were  in  paradise  many  fine  cool 
spots,  where  Adam  and  Eve  could  sit  down  and  have  a 
pleasant  talk.  What  could  they  do,  when  they  felt  hungry  ? 
They  could  choose  what  they  wished  among  so  many  de- 
licious fruits.  They  could  have  the  finest  eggs,  milk  and 
meat  from  the  animals,  and  the  most  refreshing  clear  water 
from  the  spring.  The  animals  were  all  tame;  they  would 
come  and  eat  out  of  the  hands  of  our  first  parents.  (It 
is  well  to  enumerate  some  of  the  animals.)  The  birds 
would  joyfully  flutter  about  the  trees,  singing  so  sweetly, 
and  would  come  down  to  perch  on  their  hands  or  shoulders. 
They  would  watch  sometimes  the  various  kinds  of  fish 
swimming  in  every  direction  in  the  rivers.  There  were 
there  also  all  kinds  of  domestic  animals  and  fowls.  Adam, 
after  his  creation,  had  reviewed  all  the  animals,  given  each 
kind  its  name.  So  you  see  that  Adam  and  Eve  had  much 
pleasure  in  paradise.  God  often  came  to  Adam  and  Eve 
in  the  evening.     They  awaited  His  coming  with  joy.     Sud- 


58  APOSTLES'  CREED 

denly  the  trees  would  move  their  branches  and  bend  their 
tops  in  reverence.  Then  the  hearts  of  Adam  and  Eve  beat 
with  joy ;  soon  God  appeared.  He  was  so  kind  and  friendly 
with  them,  as  a  father  with  his  children.  Oh,  how  fast 
the  time  in  paradise  passed  for  them !  They  wished  God 
would  never  leave  them.  Tell  me  how  many  different  joys 
Adam  and  Eve  had  in  paradise.  They  lived  happy 
there. 

Nothing  to  suffer,  never  to  die.  Adam  was  not  to  re- 
main idle  in  paradise.  Why  had  God  placed  him  in  it? 
To  care  for  it.  What  kind  of  work  is  required  in  a  gar- 
den? Adam  had  to  perform  it.  But  work  was  like  play 
to  our  first  parents.  When  men  work  long  and  hard,  what 
do  they  become?  Tired.  But  Adam  and  Eve  did  not  get 
tired  in  paradise.  The  work  was  not  hard,  and  the  weather 
was  always  mild  and  the  sun  was  shining.  How  do  people 
working  in  the  sun  in  summer  feel?  Very  hot.  And  in 
winter?  Very  cold.  But  our  first  parents  never  felt  hot 
or  cold  in  paradise;  the  weather  was  so  mild  and  pleasant. 
They  never  were  sick  or  suffered  pain ;  they  were  never 
to  die.  Wrhat  was  to  happen  at  the  end  of  their  life  on 
earth  ?     To  go  to  heaven  in  body  and  soul. 

Explanation  —  Holy.  God  intended  at  the  end  of  the 
life  of  Adam  and  Eve  on  earth  to  take  them  in  both  body 
and  soul  to  heaven.  Who  were  already  in  heaven  with 
God?  The  good  angels.  They  are  holy.  They  are  as 
pure  and  white  as  the  recently  fallen  snow,  and  they  shine 
as  the  sun.  Who  is  millions  of  times  more  holy  than  the 
angels?  God  is  infinitely  holy.  Only  those  who  are  holy 
can  go  to  Him  in  heaven.  What  had  our  first  parents  to 
be,  in  order  to  go  to  heaven?  Holy.  Therefore  God  had 
placed  something  wonderful  from  His  heart  into  the  hearts 
of  Adam  and  Eve.  That  was  sanctifying  grace.  It  was 
like  a  bright  garment  for  their  souls,  and  made  their  souls 
holy.  He  who  has  this  garment  of  grace  in  his  soul,  is  a 
child  of  God.     What  were  Adam  and  Eve  with  this  gar- 


END  OF  MAN  59 

ment  in  their  souls?  God  was  well  pleased  with  them  and 
loved  them  very  much. 

Just.  Adam  and  Eve  also  loved  God  and  tried  to  please 
Him.  They  were  fond  of  praying  to  Him.  They  cheer- 
fully did  all  that  God  required  of  them.  They  never  did 
anything  that  was  not  right;  they  never  thought  of  doing 
anything  wrong.  All  they  did  was  right  and  just.  There- 
fore they  were  just.  Because  they  had  on  the  garment  of 
grace,  they  were  holy  and  just.  So  they  were  after  their 
creation. 

Summary.  What  were  Adam  and  Eve  in  the  beginning? 
Holy  and  just.  Were  they  also  happy?  They  had  noth- 
ing to  suffer,  and  were  never  to  die. 

Application.  How  glad  I  would  be,  if  I  could  say  that 
all  of  you  children  here  always  do  what  is  right  before 
God.  But  there  are  some  that  do  not  like  to  pray,  to  be 
obedient.  They  miss  Mass  even  on  Sundays.  They  need 
to  be  often  admonished.  And  yet  these  children  wish  to 
go  to  heaven.  When  they  were  baptized,  they  also  received 
the  garment  of  sanctifying  grace.  When  they  tell  lies,  dis- 
obey, quarrel,  misbehave,  they  defile  their  garment  of  grace, 
and  become  unfit  for  heaven.  If  you  are  fond  of  praying, 
of  going  to  Mass,  and  love  God  and  do  all  He  commands 
you,  the  garment  of  grace  remains  clean  in  your  soul,  and 
becomes  daily  more  beautiful ;  and  you  feel  happy  on  earth. 
And  when  you  will  die,  God  will  take  you  to  Himself  in 
the  beautiful  heaven.  In  heaven  it  is  far  more  pleasant 
than  it  was  in  paradise  for  Adam  and  Eve.  In  heaven 
there  is  no  sickness,  no  trouble,  no  suffering,  but  only 
pleasure  and  happiness  without  end. 

14.  The  Commandment  of  God  in  Paradise.    Why 

are  we  on  earth? 

Object.     I  will  tell  you  to-day  why  God  created  man. 
Development  —  To    serve    God.     How    did    our    first 


60  APOSTLES'  CREED 

parents  live  in  paradise?  Where  were  they  destined  to  go? 
But  God  wished  first  to  see  whether  they  would  obey  Him. 
Therefore  He  forbade  them  to  eat  of  the  fruit  of  one  of 
the  trees.  What  did  God  say  to  them  ?  "  You  may  eat 
of  the  fruits  of  all  the  trees  in  paradise,  except  of  the 
fruit  of  the  tree  in  the  center.  If  you  eat  of  the  fruit 
of  this  tree,  you  shall  die."  This  was  what  God  forbade 
them.  God  has  given  us  also  and  all  men  some  command- 
ments, such  as,  to  pray,  to  honor  our  father  and  mother, 
not  to  tell  lies,  not  to  steal.  What  must  you  do,  when 
your  father  bids  you  to  do  something?  You  must  obey 
him.  You  must  obey  your  superiors  also,  such  as  the 
Church,  the  priest,  your  teacher,  the  government.  (Serv- 
ants, etc.,  must  obey  their  masters,  their  employers.)  We 
are  all  servants  of  God ;  all,  the  Pope,  bishops,  priests, 
monarchs,  must  obey  God.  We  are  all  on  earth  to  serve 
God,  to  do  what  He  commands  us. 

Heaven  is  the  reward.  Servants  and  workmen  get  their 
wages,  according  to  their  work  and  the  length  of  time  they 
work.  Adam  and  Eve  were  to  get  their  wages  (reward) 
in  heaven,  if  they  served  God  faithfully.  What  would 
happen  to  them,  if  they  did  not  serve  God,  did  not  obey 
Him?  They  should  die.  We  also  are  destined  to  go  to 
heaven,  which  is  to  be  given  to  us  as  an  exceedingly 
great  reward  or  pay  for  serving  God  faithfully  during  our 
life.  That  is  why  God  has  placed  us  on  earth;  to  serve 
Him  and  gain  heaven. 

Summary.  Why  are  we  on  earth?  Where  shall  we 
go,  if  we  serve  God?  We  are  on  earth  to  serve  God  and 
go  to  heaven  by  doing  so. 

Application.  The  angels  and  saints  are  in  heaven. 
There  they  continually  serve  God.  They  cheerfully  do  all 
that  He  wills.  The  will  of  God  is  always  done  in  heaven. 
It  should  be  done  always  on  earth  also.  Who  should  do 
the  will  of  God  on  earth?  Who  does  the  will  of  God  on 
earth?     All  those  who  keep  His  commandments  (enumer- 


THE  FALL  61 

ate).  But  God  has  to  help  us  to  do  always  His  will  on 
earth.  Therefore  we  pray  in  the  Our  Father :  '  Thy  will 
be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven."  If  all  men  on  earth 
would  do  God's  will  as  the  angels  do  it  in  heaven,  this 
earth  would  be  almost  as  good  and  as  happy  as  heaven 
itself,  and  we  would  all  go  to  heaven,  the  kingdom  of  God. 
For  this  also  we  pray  to  God :     "  Thy  kingdom  come." 

15.  The  Fall  of  our  First  Parents. 

Preparation.  Have  you  ever  seen  boys  trying  to  catch 
fish  with  a  hook?  How  is  a  hook  made?  But  if  the  boys 
would  throw  the  hook  just  as  it  is  into  the  water,  no  fish 
would  bite.  What  do  they  put  on  the  hook  to  draw  the 
fish  ?  Bait.  And  now  the  stupid  fish,  seeing  only  the  bait, 
and  not  the  hook  hidden  by  the  bait,  takes  hold  of  the  bait 
and  bites  the  hook,  and  thinking  how  good  the  worm  tastes, 
tries  to  swallow  the  bait  and  hook,  and  moves  its  tail  and 
pulls  the  hook  and  is  caught !  Just  as  boys  catch  fish  with 
a  hook  and  bait,  so  did  the  devil  try  to  lead  our  first 
parents  to  disobey  God  and  make  them  unhappy. 

Object.  I  will  now  tell  you  how  the  devil  acted  to  in- 
duce our  first  parents  to  disobey  God's  commandment. 

Relation.  The  devil  was  very  envious  of  the  happiness 
of  our  first  parents.  He  resolved  to  lead  them  into  the 
sin  of  disobeying  God.  Therefore  he  hid  himself  in  a 
serpent.  The  serpent  was  on  the  forbidden  tree.  One  day 
Eve  went  near  the  forbidden  tree  and  saw  the  serpent  on  it. 
The  serpent  said  to  Eve :  "  Why  hath  God  commanded 
you,  that  you  should  not  eat  of  every  tree  of  paradise?" 
Eve  replied:  "Of  the  fruit  of  the  trees  that  are  in  para- 
dise we  do  eat;  but  of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  which  is  in 
the  midst  of  paradise,  God  hath  commanded  us  that  we 
should  not  eat;  and  that  we  should  not  touch  it,  lest  per- 
haps we  die."  But  the  serpent  said  to  Eve :  "  No,  you 
shall  not  die.     For  God  knows  that,  when  you  shall  eat  of 


62  APOSTLES'  CREED 

it,  your  eyes  shall  be  opened;  and  you  shall  be  as  gods, 
knowing  good  and  evil."  And  Eve  "saw  that  the  tree 
was  good  to  eat,  and  fair  to  the  eyes,  and  delightful  to 
behold;  and  she  took  of  its  fruit,  and  did  eat,  and  gave 
to  her  husband  who  did  eat." 

Explanation  —  Envy  of  the  devil.  Where  did  Adam 
and  Eve  dwell  in  the  beginning?  Were  they  happy  there? 
Who  is  it  that  could  not  bear  to  see  them  happy?  He  who 
cannot  bear  to  see  others  happy,  is  envious.  The  devil 
envied  (was  envious  of)  the  happiness  of  our  first  parents. 
Why  was  he  so  envious?  The  devil  was  at  first  so  happy. 
What  had  he  been?  Where  had  he  dwelt?  In  heaven. 
Why  was  he  cast  into  hell?  The  devil  was  anxious  that 
men  also  should  be  cast  into  hell.  Therefore  he  thought : 
"  If  I  could  only  induce  men  not  to  keep  God's  command- 
ments. I  will  try."  What  did  the  devil  intend  to  do? 
To  tempt  our  first  parents  to  disobey  God. 

The  temptation.  In  what  animal  did  the  devil  hide  him- 
self ?  Where  was  the  serpent?  Who  came  near  that  tree? 
What  did  Eve  see  on  the  tree?  The  devil  showed  him- 
self very  friendly,  and  asked  her :  "  Why  hath  God  com- 
manded you,"  etc.  Eve  was  astonished  at  hearing  the  ser- 
pent speak.  What  did  she  answer?  Whose  commandment 
did  Eve  know  quite  well?  And  she  knew  the  punishment 
also,  for  she  said :  "  Lest  we  perhaps  die."  But  what 
had  God  said  ?  "  You  shall  die,  if,"  etc.  She  thought  that 
what  God  had  said,  might  not  be  true,  for  she  said  "  per- 
haps." The  serpent  laughed,  saying:  "  By  no  means;  you 
shall  not  die,  and  your  eyes,"  etc.  He  meant  that  Adam 
would  see  that  they  were  equal  to  God. 

The  devil  was  anxious  that  men  also  should  wish  to  be 
like  or  equal  to  God,  so  that  God  should  at  once  cast 
them  also  into  hell.  The  devil  knew  that  men  could  not 
become  like  God,  and  yet  he  said  they  would.  He  was  the 
first  liar;  he  is  the  father  of  lies.  Whom  should  Eve  have 
believed,  the  serpent  or  God?     And  Eve  should  have  gone 


THE  FALL  63 

away,  and  not  stood  to  listen  to  the  serpent's  lies.  But 
the  words  of  the  serpent  pleased  Eve.  She  would  have 
liked  so  much  to  become  equal  to  God.  Therefore  she 
stayed  longer  near  the  tree,  and  looked  at  its  fruits.  What 
did  she  think  of  them?  That  they  looked  nice  and  tasted 
good.  There  were  many,  very  many  other  fruits  in  para- 
dise. Why  did  these  please  her  more?  Because  she  be- 
lieved that,  if  she  ate  of  them,  she  would  become  like 
God. 

The  fall.  Then  Eve  went  nearer  the  tree,  and  looked 
more  closely  at  the  fruit.  Then  there  happened  to  her 
what  happens  to  the  fish  looking  at  the  bait  on  the  hook. 
The  fruit  pleased  her  so  much,  that  she  longed  to  taste 
it.  At  last  she  took  and  ate  some,  and  gave  some  to  Adam. 
And  what  did  Adam  do?  How  great  was  the  joy  of  the 
devil,  when  he  saw  that! 

Explanation  —  The  first  sin.  What  had  God  for- 
bidden our  first  parents?  Did  they  obey  God?  They  did 
not  obey  Him.  They  transgressed  (broke)  His  command- 
ment. He  who  transgresses  a  commandment  of  God,  com- 
mits a  sin.  What  did  our  first  parents  commit  by 
disobeying  God  ?  They  committed  a  sin ;  they  sinned. 
Was  God's  commandment  very  hard  to  keep?  No,  for 
there  were  very  many  other  trees  with  delicious  fruits, 
besides  the  forbidden  tree.  There  was  no  need  of  their 
eating  the  forbidden  fruit.  The  sin  of  our  first  parents 
was  great,  grievous  before  God. 

Pride.  Why  did  Adam  and  Eve  eat  of  the  forbidden 
fruit?  Because  they  wished  to  be  equal  to  God.  But  no 
one  can  be  equal  to  God.  How  do  you  call  those  persons 
who  wish  to  be  more  (greater)  than  they  are?  Proud. 
What  were  Adam  and  Eve?  Proud.  Who  before  Adam 
and  Eve  wished  to  be  like  (equal  to)  God?  Those  angels 
were  proud.  What  did  they  commit  thereby?  A  great 
sin.     Pride  is  a  sin. 

Lying.     The  devil  knew  very  well  that  Adam  and  Eve 


64  APOSTLES'  CREED 

could  not  be  like  God.  Yet  he  said :  "  You  shall  be  as 
gods."  What  do  you  call  his  saying  that?  A  lie.  The 
devil  was  the  first  liar.  Whom  does  a  child  who  tells  lies, 
imitate?  By  his  lies  the  devil  succeeded  in  causing  our 
first  parents  to  commit  sin. 

Summary.  What  commandment  had  God  given  to  our 
first  parents?  What  did  they  do?  Transgressed  God's 
commandment,  and  sinned. 

Application.  The  devil  seeks  to  lead  you  also  into  sin ; 
for  instance,  when  you  are  alone  at  home,  he  suggests  to  you 
to  go  to  the  pantry  to  take  and  eat  of  the  sweetmeats  that 
are  there,  telling  you  how  nice  and  good  they  are,  and 
that  your  mother  will  not  see  you,  or  know  that  you  have 
taken  or  tasted  them.  When  there  is  some  change  lying 
loose  in  the  house,  he  suggests  to  you  to  take  some  to  buy 
candy,  etc.  How  often  does  he  not  suggest  to  you  to  tell 
lies,  in  order  to  escape  punishment ;  to  strike  others,  to 
call  them  abusive  names ;  and  often  he  sends  a  bad  com- 
panion to  lead  you  into  mischief,  into  sin ! 

If  Eve  had  gone  away,  she  would  not  have  sinned.  You 
also  must  go  out  of  the  way  of  temptation,  out  of  bad 
company,  or  else  you  will  fall  into  sin.  Pray  to  God  not 
to  let  great  temptations  come  to  you ;  say :  "  Lead  us  not 
into  temptation."  And  when  temptation  comes,  ask  God 
to  help  you  to  overcome  it.  "  Jesus  and  Mary,  help  me 
to  keep  from  sin." 

16.  The  Confession  and  Punishment  of  our  First 

Parents. 

Object.  I  will  relate  to  you  how  God  punished  our 
first  parents  for  their  sin. 

Relation.  After  Adam  and  Eve  had  sinned,  their  eyes 
were  opened,  and  they  saw  that  they  were  naked.  Full 
of  shame,  they  made  for  themselves  aprons  with  fig-leaves. 
When  they  heard  the  voice  of  God,  they  hid  themselves 


CONFESSION  OF  ADAM  AND  EVE        65 

among  the  trees  of  paradise.  And  God  called  Adam: 
"  Where  art  thou  ?  And  Adam  said :  I  heard  Thy  voice 
in  paradise,  and  I  was  afraid,  because  I  was  naked,  and 
I  hid  myself.  And  God  said  to  him:  And  who  hath 
told  thee  that  thou  wast  naked,  but  that  thou  hast  eaten 
of  the  tree,  whereof  I  commanded  thee  that  thou  shouldst 
not  eat?  And  Adam  said:  The  woman  that  Thou  gavest 
me  to  be  my  companion,  gave  me  of  the  tree,  and  I  did 
eat.  And  God  said  to  the  woman :  Why  hast  thou  done 
this  ?  And  she  answered :  The  serpent  deceived  me,  and 
I  did  eat.  And  God  said  to  the  serpent,  because  thou 
hast  done  this  thing,  thou  art  cursed  among  all  cattle  and 
beasts  of  the  earth.  I  will  put  enmities  between  thee  and 
the  woman,  and  thy  seed  and  her  seed ;  she  shall  crush 
thy  head.  To  the  woman  also  He  said:  I  will  multiply 
thy  sorrows  from  thy  children ;  thou  shalt  be  under  thy 
husband's  power,  and  he  shall  have  dominion  over  thee. 
And  to  Adam  he  said:  Because  thou  hast  hearkened  to 
the  voice  of  thy  wife,  and  hast  eaten  of  the  tree,  whereof 
I  commanded  thee,  that  thou  shouldst  not  eat,  cursed  is 
the  earth  in  thy  work;  with  labor  and  toil  thou  shalt  eat 
thereof  all  the  days  of  thy  life.  In  the  sweat  of  thy  face 
thou  shalt  eat  bread,  till  thou  return  to  the  earth,  out  of 
which  thou  wast  taken ;  for  dust  thou  art,  and  into  dust 
shalt  thou  return."  Then  God  clothed  Adam  and  Eve 
with  garments  of  skin,  and  cast  them  out  of  paradise. 

Explanation  —  The  trial.  What  did  the  devil  tell  Eve 
to  induce  her  to  eat  of  the  forbidden  fruit?  He  said 
that  they  would  not  die,  but  that  their  eyes  would  be  opened, 
and  they  would  be  like  God,  if  they  would  eat  of  it.  One 
thing  which  the  devil  told  them,  was  true;  that  their  eyes 
would  be  opened.  But  they  saw  something  very  different 
from  what  the  devil  had  made  them  believe.  What  did 
they  see?  That  they  were  naked.  They  got  ashamed  and 
covered  themselves  with  aprons  made  of  fig-leaves.  Do 
you  remember  what  was  the  garment  of  the  souls  of  Adam 


66  APOSTLES'  CREED 

and  Eve  when  God  created  them?  The  garment  of  grace. 
It  made  their  souls  exceedingly  bright  and  resplendent; 
this  brightness  penetrated  their  bodies  and  made  them 
bright  also,  and  this  brightness  served  as  a  garment  for 
their  bodies;  hence  they  needed  no  material  clothes  as  we 
do.  But  when  Adam  and  Eve  sinned,  they  lost  sanctifying 
grace,  the  bright  garment  of  their  souls,  and  all  the  bright- 
ness of  their  bodies  disappeared. 

What  injury  did  the  sin  of  our  first  parents  cause  to 
their  souls?  It  robbed  them  of  the  garment  of  grace,  and 
defiled  them  with  a  mortal  sin ;  so  that  their  souls  looked 
ugly  and  repulsive  (disgusting).  Therefore  Adam  and 
Eve  were  no  longer  children  of  God.  And  now  their  con- 
sciences reproached  them  with  having  disobeyed  God,  and 
they  got  afraid.  Their  hearts  beat  violently.  And  they 
heard  the  voice  of  God.  This  time  they  did  not  feel  glad 
that  God  was  coming  to  them.  They  ran  away.  What 
did  they  do  to  keep  God  from  seeing  them?  They  hid 
themselves.  But  God  had  seen  them.  Why?  Because 
He  is  everywhere,  and  no  one  can  hide  himself  from  Him. 

Then  God  called  out :  "  Adam,  where  art  thou  ?  "  Then 
Adam  and  Eve  had  to  come  out  of  their  hiding-places. 
Adam  did  not  tell  the  exact  truth  why  he  had  hidden  him- 
self. What  did  he  say?  But  God  knew  Adam's  sin.  He 
knew  why  Adam  was  afraid.  What  did  He  say  to  Adam? 
Adam  should  then  have  said :  "  Lord,  forgive  me."  But 
what  did  he  say?  He  tried  to  excuse  himself  by  putting 
all  the  blame  on  Eve  (and  remotely  on  God  Himself  who 
had  given  her  to  him  as  his  companion).  What  did  God 
then  say  to  Eve?  How  ought  Eve  to  have  spoken  then 
to  God,  and  begged  His  forgiveness?  But  what  did  she 
say  instead?  She  blamed  the  serpent  for  deceiving  her. 
But  should  she  not  have  believed  God  rather  than  the  ser- 
pent? What  should  she  have  done,  when  the  serpent  began 
to  speak  to  her?  Was  she  not  guilty?  And  was  Adam 
bound  to  take  and  eat  the   forbidden   fruit  given  him  by 


PUNISHMENT  OF  ADAM  AND  EVE       67 

Eve?  No.  He  also  was  guilty.  Both  were  guilty.  Who 
was  most  guilty?  The  serpent.  All  three  were  punished. 
How  was  each  of  them  punished? 

The  punishment.  What  did  God  say  to  the  serpent? 
(Will  be  explained  further  on.)  Who  was  punished  after 
the  serpent?  Eve.  What  did  God  say  to  her?  You  know 
how  babies  often  cry  all  night,  and  their  poor  mothers  can- 
not sleep,  for  they  must  be  all  the  time  with  their  crying 
babies.  How  much  do  poor  mothers  suffer  and  complain ! 
God  foretold  that.  Why  was  Eve  so  punished?  Whom 
did  she  seduce  (lead  into  sin)?  Hence  God  said  to  her: 
'  Thou  shalt  be  under  the  power  of  thy  husband."  Finally, 
Adam  got  his  punishment.  What  did  God  say  to  him? 
"  Cursed  be  the  earth,"  etc.  On  account  of  this  curse  the 
earth  no  longer  so  easily  produces  eatables,  no  such  fine 
fruits  as  there  were  in  paradise.  What  should  it  produce 
henceforth  of  itself?  Thorns  and  thistles  (weeds).  If 
Adam  and  Eve  wished  to  eat,  Adam  would  have  to  work  so 
hard,  that  the  sweat  would  pour  from  his  brow  down  his 
face.  How  did  God  say  that?  As  Adam  would  sweat 
in  summer,  so  he  would  freeze  in  winter ;  and  he  would 
be  liable  to  get  sick,  to  suffer  pains  of  all  kinds,  in  every 
part  of  his  body,  during  his  whole  life.  God  told  him 
also  that  he  must  die.  From  what  did  God  make  Adam's 
body?  What  would  his  body  become  in  the  grave?  Dust. 
God  said :     "  Thou  art  dust,"  etc. 

God's  mercy.  When  Adam  and  Eve  heard  these  pun- 
ishments, they  began  to  weep  bitterly.  Even  then  God 
showed  them  how  much  He  loved  them.  As  they  were 
naked  He  made  them  clothes  out  of  the  skins  of  animals. 
Where  were  Adam  and  Eve  no  longer  allowed  to  remain? 
What  did  God  do  to  them?  How  many  times  did  they 
not  look  back  towards  paradise,  to  see  if  God  would  not 
call  them  back !  But  they  were  nevermore  allowed  to  re- 
turn to  it.  They  had  lost  paradise  forever.  God  placed 
an  angel  with  a  flaming  sword  before  its  gate  to  keep  our 


68  APOSTLES'  CREED 

first  parents  from  entering  it  again.  When  Adam  and  Eve 
left  paradise,  the  animals,  hitherto  so  tame,  began  to  make 
horrible  noises,  ran  away  and  became  wild.  (Explain  a 
picture  of  Adam  and  Eve's  expulsion  from  paradise.) 

Connection.  We  shall  now  again  consider  how  our  first 
parents  were  punished  for  their  sin. 

In  their  souls.  What  garment  had  Adam  and  Eve  in 
their  souls  before  their  sin?  What  was  the  effect  of  their 
sin  on  this  garment  of  grace?  That  was  the  first  punish- 
ment of  their  sin.  What  was  their  soul  before  their  sin? 
Beautiful,  bright,  pure  and  holy.  And  after  their  sin?  It 
was  all  defiled,  ugly  and  disgusting.  That  was  the  second 
punishment.  Whose  children  were  Adam  and  Eve  before 
their  sin?  And  after  their  sin?  That  was  their  third 
punishment.  Where  were  Adam  and  Eve  to  go  later  on, 
if  they  had  remained  faithful  ?  Where  were  they  no  longer 
able  to  go  after  their  sin?  That  was  their  fourth  punish- 
ment. 

In  their  bodies.  Where  did  Adam  and  Eve  dwell  before 
their  sin?  What  did  God  do  to  them  after  their  sin? 
Cast  them  out  of  paradise.  That  was  the  fifth  punish- 
ment. What  kind  of  work  did  they  have  before  their  sin? 
And  after  their  sin?  This  was  the  sixth  punishment. 
After  their  sin  their  bodies  were  liable  to  undergo  all  kinds 
of  sickness  and  suffering  and  death,  and  to  return  to  dust. 
That  was  the  seventh  punishment. 

Summary.  Our  first  parents,  in  punishment  of  their 
sin,  were  cast  out  of  paradise,  became  liable  to  many  suffer- 
ings, and  were  to  die. 

Application.  You  have  often  heard  of  some  child  pun- 
ished by  its  good  father;  and  each  time  the  thought  came 
to  you :  "  That  child  must  have  done  something  bad." 
God  was  a  good  father  to  Adam  and  Eve;  and  yet  He 
punished  them  severely.  Why  did  God  do  that?  All 
those  misfortunes  would  not  have  come  over  our  first 
parents,    if   they   had  not    sinned.     This   shows  you   how 


ORIGINAL  SIN  69 

wicked  sin  is  in  the  sight  of  God.  Suppose  an  ugly  rep- 
tile, a  snake,  would  creep  up  your  clothes.  It  would  make 
you  afraid  and  scream  aloud,  and  you  would  at  once  shake 
it  off  and  jump  away  from  it.  Now  sin  is  more  horrid 
and  dangerous  than  a  poisonous  snake.  You  should  prefer 
to  suffer  hunger  rather  than  to  steal,  to  be  laughed  at  rather 
than  to  go  with  bad  companions,  to  take  punishment  rather 
than  to  escape  it  by  telling  a  lie. 

The  holy  Queen  Blanche  often  said  to  her  little  son: 
"  Louis,  I  love  you  more  than  anything  on  earth,  but  I 
would  rather  see  you  dead  than  to  hear  that  you  have 
committed  a  sin."  Little  Louis  took  these  words  so  much 
to  heart  during  his  whole  life,  that  he  never  committed 
a  mortal  sin,  and  became  a  great  saint.  Dear  children,  I 
love  you  also  very  much;  but  if  I  would  know  that  any 
of  you  would  later  on  fall  into  a  mortal  sin,  I  w.ould  pray 
to  God  rather  to  let  you  die  now.  For  if  you  die  without 
grievous  sin,  you  shall  forever  dwell  in  heaven;  but  if  you 
commit  a  mortal  sin  and  die  in  it,  you  shall  be  cast  forever 
into  hell.  Every  good  child  tries  hard  to  avoid  even  the 
smallest  sin. 


17.  Original  Sin. 

Preparation.  I  told  you  the  other  day  how  Adam  and 
Eve  became  unhappy  by  their  sin. 

Object.  You  will  hear  to-day  how  all  men  have  been 
made  unhappy  by  the  sin  of  our  first  parents. 

Development —  To  inherit.  After  they  were  cast  out  of 
paradise,  Adam  and  Eve  had  children.  When  the  parents 
are  rich,  their  children  also  are  rich.  When  the  parents 
are  poor,  the  children  also  are  poor.  Now,  think  a  little, 
and  tell  me,  when  the  parents  die,  who  gets  all  that  be- 
longed to  the  parents;  their  houses,  furniture,  fields,  money? 
The  children.  Therefore  we  say :  "  Children  inherit  the 
property  of  their  parents."     If  their  parents  are  poor,  or 


70  APOSTLES'  CREED 

if  they  are  rich,  the  children  inherit  accordingly.  Before 
their  sin  Adam  and  Eve  were  rich  in  paradise ;  they  were 
not  only  rich,  but  good  and  happy.  Their  children  were 
to  be  like  them,  rich  and  happy,  because  they  would  have 
inherited  riches  and  happiness  from  them.  All  men  are 
children  of  Adam  and  Eve.  Why?  Therefore  all  men 
were  destined  to  inherit  the  riches  and  happiness  of  Adam 
and  Eve. 

Original  sin.  But  Adam  and  Eve  did  not  obey  God. 
What  did  they  do?  Therefore  the  children  of  Adam  and 
Eve  were  born  with  sin  in  their  souls,  and  also  all  the 
children  born  since  then  have  inherited  the  sin  of  Adam 
and  Eve.  That  is  a  great  misfortune  for  all  of  us.  The 
sin  which  all  men  have  inherited  from  our  first  parents 
is  called  original  sin. 

Inclination  to  evil.  Because  all  men  inherited  the  sin  of 
Adam  and  Eve,  they  have  in  themselves  an  inclination  to 
evil.  Therefore  all  children  have  an  inclination  to  steal 
fruits,  sweetmeats,  to  tell  lies,  to  quarrel,  to  strike  others. 
Who  was  the  first  to  let  the  inclination  to  evil  come  into 
her  heart?  Eve.  All  men  have  inherited  that  inclination 
from  Adam  and  Eve. 

The  punishments.  What  did  Adam  and  Eve  lose  in 
their  souls  through  their  sin?  When  we  were  born  we 
did  not  have  the  garment  of  grace  in  our  souls.  The  sin 
of  our  first  parents  is  the  cause  of  this.  Whose  children 
did  Adam  and  Eve  cease  to  be  after  their  sin?  God's. 
When  we  were  born,  we  were  not  children  of  God.  Why? 
And  where  could  Adam  and  Eve  no  longer  go  after  their 
sin?  To  heaven.  Heaven  was  closed  against  them  and 
against  all  men  by  their  sin.  In  what  other  way  did  God 
punish  Adam  and  Eve?  They  had  much  to  suffer,  and 
at  last  to  die.  How  did  they  have  to  suffer?  Hard  work, 
sickness,  troubles.  We  also  must  suffer  like  them,  and  at 
last  die.     Why? 

Summary.     What  have  all  men   inherited   from  Adam 


PROMISE  OF  THE  REDEEMER  71 

and  Eve  ?  First,  original  sin,  and  secondly,  the  punishment 
of  original  sin. 

Application.  You  have  not  yet  suffered  much.  Per; 
haps  a  little  headache  or  toothache,  a  few  punishments. 
But  you  have  perhaps  seen  others  suffer  great  pains,  and 
heard  their  cries  and  complaints.  There  are  a  great  many 
sick  persons  on  earth ;  how  much  do  they  suffer !  Some 
die  of  hunger,  others  freeze  or  burn  to  death,  or  are 
drowned,  or  killed  in  accidents.  How  people  grieve  over 
the  death  of  their  relatives  and  friends,  in  the  house,  in 
the  graveyard.  One  hundred  thousand  persons  die  daily 
on  earth.  What  are  all  these  pains,  deaths  and  grief? 
The  punishment  and  consequence  of  sin. 

Moreover,  you  have  an  inclination  to  evil,  to  be  dis- 
obedient, to  steal,  to  tell  lies,  etc.  When  you  feel  inclined 
or  tempted  to  do  wrong,  do  you  not  act  like  Adam  and 
Eve?  Do  you  keep  away  from  bad  companions  and  all 
danger  of  sin?  Do  you  pray  when  you  are  strongly 
tempted? 

18.  Promise  of  the  Redeemer. 

Object.  I  will  relate  to  you  how  God  showed  Himself 
kind  and  merciful  to  men  after  the  sin  of  our  first  parents. 

Development  —  All  men  were  lost.  Whom  did  Adam 
and  Eve  obey,  when  they  sinned?  The  devil.  Therefore 
they  belonged  after  that  to  the  devil.  They  deserved  hell 
by  their  sin.  Sin  was  like  a  rope,  with  which  the  devil 
tied  them  and  tried  to  drag  them  into  hell.  Who  inherited 
the  sin  of  Adam  ?  All  men.  Therefore  when  children  are 
born,  they  are  not  the  children  of  God.  And  where  does 
original  sin  prevent  men  from  going?  But  the  devil  was 
not  satisfied  with  preventing  men  from  going  to  heaven ; 
he  wished  to  bring  all  men  to  hell  with  him.  Therefore 
he  made  the  plan  to  lead  all  men  to  commit  all  kinds  of 
sins,  and  to  use  their  sins  as  ropes  to  drag  them  all  into 


72  APOSTLES'  CREED 

hell.  No  man  could  ever  free  himself,  by  his  own  efforts, 
from  these  ropes.  No,  not  all  men  together  could  break 
the  ropes  of  sin ;  even  if  they  tried  as  hard  as  they  could. 
Nor  could  any  angel,  no,  not  even  could  all  the  angels  to- 
gether break  the  rope  of  sin  and  free  men  from  sin.  And 
yet  no  man  could  ever  go  to  heaven,  if  he  did  not  get  free 
from  that  rope.  God  alone  could  free  men  from  it,  and 
redeem  all  of  them.     (Ask  questions  on  the  foregoing.) 

God  shows  mercy.  God  did  not  redeem  the  bad  angels 
from  their  sin.  Where  did  He  cast  them?  God  could 
have  treated  Adam  and  Eve  in  the  same  manner  and  cast 
them  into  hell.  But  Adam  and  Eve  were  not  so  enlight- 
ened as  the  angels;  also  Eve  did  not  of  herself  alone  dis- 
obey God.  Who  had  deceived  her  and  induced  her  to  disobey 
God?  The  devil.  Therefore  God  had  pity  on  men.  And 
the  Son  of  God  in  heaven  spoke  to  His  Father :  "  I  will 
help  man  to  be  free  from  sin."  For  the  Son  of  God  had 
pity  on  men  in  their  misfortune,  and  wished  to  show  them 
mercy.  But  the  heavenly  Father  asked  Him :  "  How  wilt 
Thou  help  men?"  The  Son  replied:  "I  will  choose  a 
holy  Mother,  and  become  man.  I  will  then  combat  the 
devil,  and  My  Mother  shall  crush  his  head,  and  then 
men  shall  be  free  from  sin."  This  pleased  God  the 
Father. 

Promise  of  the  Redeemer.  God  had  said  this  to  the 
serpent  in  paradise.  How  did  He  say  it?  "  She  (the 
woman)  shall  crush  thy  head."  This  He  said  after  He 
had  cursed  the  serpent.  Because  the  serpent  was  cursed 
by  God,  men  hate  it,  pursue  it  and  kill  it.  What  do  chil- 
dren do  when  they  see  one?  What  is  the  meaning  of  all 
that  God  said  to  the  serpent  ?  "  Thou  thinkest  that,  be- 
cause thou  hast  seduced  Eve,  and  Adam  through  her,  that 
thou  wilt  bring  all  men  into  hell.  But  there  shall  come 
a  holy  woman  with  a  holy  Child,  and  she  shall  crush  thy 
head,  and  her  Child  shall  free  men  from  sin."  Who  was 
to  come?     What  was  the  Child  to  do?     And  what  should 


PROMISE  OF  THE  REDEEMER  73 

the  woman  do  to  the  serpent?  When  the  head  of  a  snake 
is  crushed,  the  snake  can  no  longer  bite  or  do  harm.  There- 
fore when  the  promised  woman  would  crush  the  devil's  head 
(power),  the  devil  would  no  longer  be  able  to  harm  men, 
to  drag  them  by  the  rope  of  sin  into  hell.  Therefore  the 
devil  got  no  good  from  his  joy  at  seducing  Eve. 

The  Redeemer  is  the  Son  of  God.  Who  said  to  God 
the  Father,  that  He  would  free  (deliver)  men  from  sin? 
The  Son  of  God.  How  was  He  to  do  this  ?  By  becoming 
man.  He  would  take  a  body  and  soul  like  ours,  and  would 
be  born  as  a  little  baby.  And  what  would  His  Mother 
do  in  consequence?  Who  is  that  Child,  who,  as  God  prom- 
ised, would  free  men  from  sin?  And  who  is  the  woman 
that  would  crush  the  head  of  the  serpent? 

Mary,  the  Mother  of  the  Redeemer.  Explain  the  pic- 
ture of  God  punishing  Adam  and  Eve,  and  the  serpent. 
You  see  on  the  right  a  lovely  little  picture  of  a  woman 
with  a  child  in  her  arms.  What  is  her  foot  treading  on? 
The  head  of  the  serpent.  This  represents  what  God  said 
to  the  serpent  in  paradise.  Who  is  this  woman  ?  And  who 
is  the  Child  she  is  holding  in  her  arms?  Of  what  woman 
and  of  what  Child  was  God  speaking? 

Who  in  heaven  had  already  said  that  Mary  with  her 
Child  would  crush  the  serpent's  head?  But  God  did  not 
call  her  Mary.  How  did  He  call  her?  Whose  mother  is 
Mary?  Mary  is  the  Mother  of  the  Son  of  God.  There- 
fore she  is  the  Mother  of  God.  Who  is  the  Child  Jesus 
she  is  holding  in  her  arms?  The  Child  Jesus  is  the  Son 
of  God.  Mary  and  the  Son  of  God  were  to  crush  the 
serpent's  head.  And  from  what  did  the  Son  of  God  wish 
to  free  us?  And  what  is  He,  therefore,  called?  The  Re- 
deemer. To  whom  did  God  promise  a  Redeemer?  When? 
Immediately  after  the  fall  (sin)  of  our  first  parents  God 
promised  them  a  Redeemer,  who  would  free  them  from 
sin.  He  did  this  out  of  pity  for  men.  What  would  have 
become  of  mankind,  if  God  had  not  had  pity  on  them? 


74  APOSTLES'  CREED 

The  expectation  of  the  Redeemer.  Adam  and  Eve  were 
very  sorry  for  their  sin.  They  did  not  afterwards  get 
angry  for  having  to  suffer  so  much  on  account  of  it.  They 
thought :  "  We  will  willingly  suffer  everything,  for  we 
have  deserved  it."  They  said  to  God :  "  Lord,  forgive 
us;  we  will  never  sin  again.  Send  us  the  Redeemer  soon." 
Therefore  God  took  away  their  sin  from  their  souls,  and 
restored  His  friendship  to  them;  that  is,  He  forgave  them. 
They  related  to  their  children  that  God  had  promised  a 
Redeemer;  and  their  children  related  it  to  their  own  chil- 
dren, and  thus  all  men  knew  it  and  expected  the  Re- 
deemer. 

The  corruption  of  the  "world.  But  men  did  not  remain 
good ;  not  even  all  the  children  of  Adam  and  Eve.  One 
of  them,  called  Cain,  was  wicked;  he  killed  his  brother 
Abel.  Later  on  men  became  still  worse;  they  made  statues 
of  wood  and  stone,  and  said :  "  These  are  our  gods." 
And  they  adored  the  sun,  moon  and  stars.  In  a  certain 
city  they  had  a  large  statue  of  iron,  which  was  hollow 
inside.  They  would  make  in  it  a  great  fire,  and  when  the 
statue  was  red-hot,  parents  would  place  their  little  children 
in  the  red-hot  arms  of  the  statue,  and  the  children  would 
roll  from  the  arms  into  the  big  mouth  of  the  statue,  and 
were  burnt  up  inside.  These  men  knew  nothing  of  God 
and  the  Redeemer. 

The  great  Advent.  But  there  were  still  many  men  on 
earth  who  knew  that  the  Redeemer  was  to  come.  Every 
day  they  would  go  to  church,  and  pray  thus  to  God :  "  O 
Lord,  send  us  the  Redeemer."  But  the  Redeemer  did  not 
come  yet.  At  last  these  good  men  thought  they  could  wait 
no  longer  until  the  Redeemer  would  come.  They  would 
get  up  during  the  night,  kneel  down  and  pray  God  to  send 
the  Redeemer.  Sometimes  they  wished  that  the  Redeemer 
would  grow  out  of  the  ground  at  night  as  a  beautiful  flower, 
or  would  at  early  morning  come  down  from  heaven  as  the 
dew  falls  from  heaven  on  the  earth,  or  that  the  clouds  would 


THE  ANNUNCIATION  75 

pour  Him  down  like  rain.  But  it  was  only  after  several 
thousand  years  that  the  Redeemer  came.  The  long  waiting 
of  men  for  the  Redeemer  is  called  Advent. 


19.  The  Announcement  of  the  Redeemer's  Birth. 

Preparation.  How  did  God  show  mercy  to  men?  Im- 
mediately after  the  sin  of  our  first  parents  God  promised 
them  a  Redeemer,  who  would  free  them  from  sin.  Whose 
son  was  the  Redeemer  to  be  ?  To  redeem  us,  the  Redeemer 
had  to  become  man.  What  did  He  wish  to  seek  for  Himself 
on  earth?  A  mother.  There  were  many  rich  and  beau- 
tiful women  on  earth.  They  were  all  anxious  to  be  His 
Mother.  Whom  do  you  think  He  chose  as  His  Mother? 
A  queen,  or  an  empress?  Listen:  He  chose  a  poor  vir- 
gin. You  know  her  name?  Mary  lived  at  Nazareth,  a 
poor  little  country  village.  It  is  far  from  here  in  Asia. 
To  get  there,  it  is  necessary  to  travel  many  days  on  a 
railroad  and  in  a  vessel  on  the  sea.  Mary  was  poor,  but 
very  pious.  She  often  prayed  the  heavenly  Father  to  send 
the  promised  Redeemer ;  but  she  never  imagined  that  she 
was  to  be  His  Mother.  She  thought  she  was  of  too  little 
account  for  that  great  honor. 

Object.  But,  as  I  will  now  relate  to  you,  God  sent  her 
a  message  to  inform  her  that  she  would  be  the  mother 
of  the  promised  Redeemer. 

Relation.  The  angel  Gabriel  was  sent  by  God  to  a 
poor,  pious  virgin  named  Mary.  She  was  espoused  (mar- 
ried) to  a  holy  man  called  Joseph.  Mary  was  praying 
in  her  little  room,  when  the  angel  Gabriel  came  in  and  said 
to  her:  "  Hail,  full  of  grace,  the  Lord  is  with  thee;  blessed 
art  thou  among  women."  W^hen  Mary  heard  these  words, 
she  got  frightened ;  but  the  angel  said  to  her :  "  Be  not 
afraid,  Mary,  because  thou  hast  found  grace  with  God. 
Thou  shalt  conceive  a  son,  and  shalt  call  His  name  Jesus. 
He  will  be  great  and  the   Son  of  the  Almighty."     Mary 


76  APOSTLES'  CREED 

asked :  "  How  will  this  happen  ? "  The  angel  replied : 
"  The  Holy  Ghost  will  come  over  thee,  and  by  His  power 
thou  shalt  become  the  Mother  of  God."  Mary  then  said: 
"  Behold  the  handmaid  of  the  Lord ;  be  it  done  to  me 
according  to  thy  word." 

St.  Joseph  also  lived  at  Nazareth.  He  was  a  poor  car- 
penter. To  Joseph  also  an  angel  appeared  and  said : 
"  Take  Mary  to  thee ;  the  Holy  Ghost  came  over  her,  and 
she  will  have  a  Son,  whom  thou  shalt  call  Jesus,  and  He 
will  save  His  people  from  their  sins." 

Explanation — The  Virgin  Mary.  Where  did  Mary  live? 
What  was  Mary?  A  poor,  pious  virgin.  To  whom  was 
she  espoused?  Therefore  St.  Joseph  is  called  the  spouse 
of  Mary.  Mary  had  but  little  money  and  no  fine  dresses. 
And  yet  God  loved  her  more  than  all  the  other  women  in 
the  world.  Why?  She  was  already  very  pious  and  so 
holy  that  there  has  never  been  any  one  in  the  world  so 
holy  as  she.  You  have  seen  pictures  of  Mary  with  a  lily 
in  her  hand.  Of  what  color  is  the  lily?  Pure  white,  with- 
out the  slightest  spot  or  stain.  Inside  the  leaves  are  golden 
threads,  from  which  golden  dust  falls  on  the  leaves. 

But  Mary's  soul  was  much  more  beautiful  than  the  most 
beautiful  lily.  She  had  never  committed  a  sin.  What  sin 
stains  the  soul  of  every  man  that  comes  into  the  world? 
Now  listen :  Mary's  soul  was  never  stained  with  original 
sin.  Mary  alone  among  all  the  descendants  of  Adam  and 
Eve,  did  not  inherit  original  sin.  She  never  had  the  least 
stain  of  any  sin  in  her  soul.  Her  soul  was  as  pure  white, 
and  as  shining  like  gold  as  the  finest  lily,  and  even  far 
more  beautiful.  Her  soul  was  rich  in  grace.  No  virgin 
was  ever  so  rich  in  grace  as  Mary,  for  the  heavenly  Father 
willed  that  the  soul  of  the  Mother  of  the  Redeemer  should 
be  the  most  beautiful,  pious  and  holy  of  all  women  and 
virgins.     Therefore  we  call  her  the  Most  Holy  Virgin  Mary. 

The  greeting  of  the  angel.  Mary  was  very  fond  of 
prayer  and  prayed  often.     On  a  certain  day  when  she  was 


THE  ANNUNCIATION  77 

at  prayer,  her  room  suddenly  became  wonderfully  bright. 
Who  was  standing  in  front  of  Mary?  An  angel  dressed 
in  purest  white,  and  his  face  was  as  bright  and  as  beau- 
tiful as  the  sun.  The  angel  made  a  low  bow  to  her,  and 
greeted  her.     What  did  he  say? 

How  did  he  begin  his  greeting?  He  said:  "Hail,  full 
of  grace."  Just  as  if  he  said:  "A  beautiful  greeting  to 
thee  from  the  Lord."  When  your  father,  or  your  mother, 
sends  you  to  greet  your  uncle,  or  a  friend,  in  their  name, 
they  show  that  they  love  the  one  to  whom  they  send  their 
greeting.  From  whom  did  the  angel  bring  the  greeting  to 
Mary?  What  did  God  intend  to  show  to  Mary?  That 
he  loved  and  honored  her;  that  she  was  more  pleasing  to 
Him  than  any  one  else.  Why  did  God  love  Mary  so 
much  ?  Because  she  was  so  good  and  so  holy ;  she  was 
without  sin.  How  beautifully  pure  was  her  soul !  Her 
soul  possessed  more  grace  than  all  men  and  angels  to- 
gether.    She  was  "  full  of  grace." 

Because  Mary  was  full  of  grace,  she  became  the  Mother 
of  the  Son  of  God.  She  was  allowed  to  carry  the  Lord 
God  in  her  arms.  The  Lord  was  always  near  her  and 
with  her.  Mary  is  the  most  happy  of  women,  because  she 
is  the  Mother  of  God.  Therefore  no  woman  is  so  greatly 
praised  and  honored  as  Mary.  The  angel  truly  said: 
"  Blessed  art  thou  among  women."  Repeat  now  the  whole 
of  the  angel's  greeting  (salutation). 

The  message  of  the  angel.  When  Mary  so  suddenly 
saw  the  angel  and  heard  his  wonderful  greeting,  she  was 
frightened.  The  angel  saw  it,  and  said  to  her :  "  Fear 
not,  Mary,  etc.,  thou  shalt,"  etc.  And  the  angel  at  once 
told  her  what  would  be  her  Son's  name,  saying  that  He 
"  shall  be  called  Jesus."  What  else  did  the  angel  tell  her 
about  Him  ?  "  He  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  the  Most 
High."  Who  is  Most  High  in  heaven  and  on  earth?  God. 
Whose  Son  will  the  Son  of  Mary  be  called?  The  Son 
of  God.     How  great  is  God?     Infinitely  great.     Therefore 


78  APOSTLES'  CREED 

the  angel  implied  that  Mary's  Son  would  be  great.  But 
Mary  could  not  imagine  how  this  could  be.  She  asked 
the  angel  about  it.  The  angel  said  that  she  would  conceive 
Him  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Mary's  consent.  The  angel's  answer  satisfied  Mary. 
.What  did  she  then  say?  "  Behold  the  handmaid  of  the 
Lord ;  be  it  done  to  me  according  to  thy  word."  So  many 
rich  and  noble  women  had  longed  to  be  the  mother  of  the 
Redeemer.  But  God  preferred  Mary.  Mary  is  therefore 
better  and  more  noble  than  all  those  great  ladies.  But  she 
is  not  proud  of  it ;  for  what  does  she  call  herself  ?  Only 
a  servant  (handmaid)  of  God.  You  know  what  a  servant 
is ;  whom  must  a  servant  obey?  The  mistress  of  the  house. 
Mary  calls  herself  the  servant  of  God,  to  show  that  she 
would  always  be  ready  to  do  what  God  would  bid  her. 
Then  the  angel  returned.  Where?  To  God's  throne,  to 
bring  to  God  Mary's  answer.     What  was  her  answer? 

St.  Joseph.  Who  was  St.  Joseph?  The  spouse  (hus- 
band) of  Mary.  Where  did  he  live?  What  was  his  trade? 
He  was  poor  like  Mary.  You  have  already  seen  a  picture 
of  St.  Joseph.  What  does  he  hold  in  his  hand?  How  do 
the  leaves  of  the  lily  look?  St.  Joseph's  soul  was  as  pure 
and  white  as  the  lily.  What  does  the  lily  in  his  hand  teach 
us?  St.  Joseph  did  not  know  that  Mary  had  been  chosen 
to  be  the  Mother  of  God;  and  Mary  did  not  tell  him  a 
word  about  it.  But  an  angel  came  to  him  and  told  him  to 
call  the  Redeemer's  name  Jesus.  What  was  St.  Joseph 
expected  to  do?  To  support  and  protect  Mary  and  Jesus, 
her  Son. 

Explanation  —  Redeemer,  Saviour,  Christ.  What  did 
the  angel  say  to  St.  Joseph  about  the  name  he  should  give 
to  Mary's  Son  ?  Why  should  He  be  called  Jesus  ?  "  Because 
He  shall  save  His  people  from  their  sins."  What  means 
Jesus?  Saviour.  Jesus  has  yet  another  name.  What  is 
it?     Christ.     How  is  the  Redeemer  called?     Jesus  Christ. 

The  only-begotten  Son  of  God.     Whose  Son  is  the  Re- 


THE  ANGELICAL  SALUTATION  79 

deemer?  God's;  God  is  His  Father.  A  father  on  earth 
has  often  more  than  one  son.  But  Jesus  is  the  only  Son 
of  God  the  Father. 

Our  Lord.  Who  is  God?  The  Lord  of  heaven  and 
earth.  Jesus  is  also  our  Lord.  Why?  Because  He  is 
God.  To  whom  did  men  belong  after  the  fall  (sin)  of 
our  first  parents?  To  the  devil.  Who  freed  us  from  sin? 
Jesus.  Therefore  we  belong  to  Him,  and  He  is  our  Lord 
and  Master. 

Summary.  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only-begotten  Son  of 
God.  Why  do  we  belong  to  Jesus  Christ?  Therefore  we 
call  Him  our  Lord,  as  the  Apostles'  Creed  teaches.  Who 
is  His  Mother?  Mary.  She  is  the  happiest  of  women. 
What  do  we  call  her?     The  Most  Blessed  Virgin  Mary. 

The  An  gel  us.  Wrho  came  to  Mary  when  she  was  pray- 
ing? Whose  messengers  are  the  angels?  What  message 
from  God  did  the  angel  Gabriel  bring  to  Mary?  Mary 
could  not  understand  the  message;  she  asked  the  angel  to 
explain  it.  What  did  the  angel  reply?  "The  Holy  Ghost 
shall  come  upon  thee."  And  thus  make  her  the  Mother 
of  the  Son  of  God.  Was  Mary  satisfied  with  the  angel's 
answer?     What  did  she  say? 

The  Angelical  Greeting,  or  Salutation.  When  you  say  the 
Hail  Mary,  you  should  think :  "  O  Mary,  I  greet  thee 
from  my  heart."  Who  first  greeted  Mary?  It  is  for  this 
reason  that  the  Hail  Mary  is  called  the  Angelical  Saluta- 
tion. How  greatly  you  would  rejoice,  if  an  angel  would 
come  to  you  and  say :  "  God  sends  you  greeting."  What 
a  joy  Mary  must  have  felt  when  the  angel  greeted  her  in 
the  name  of  God,  and  delivered  and  explained  to  her  his 
message!  She  must  often  have  thought  of  it  afterwards. 
Where  is  Mary  now?  God  has  made  her  Queen  of  heaven, 
Queen  of  all  the  angels  and  saints.  Mary  is  very  much 
pleased  when  we  greet  her  as  the  angel  did. 

The  words  of  Elisabeth.  Then  after  "  blessed  art  thou 
among  women,"  we  add :  "  and  blessed  is  the  fruit  of  thy 


80  APOSTLES'  CREED 

womb."  These  words  were  first  spoken  to  Mary  by  her 
cousin  St.  Elizabeth.  When  Mary  knew  that  she  was  to 
be  the  Mother  of  God,  she  went  quickly  to  St.  Elizabeth. 
When  Mary  entered  Elizabeth's  house  and  greeted  her, 
Elizabeth  knew  at  once  that  Mary  would  be  the  Mother 
of  God,  for  the  Holy  Ghost  inspired  it  to  her.  And  now 
Elizabeth  greeted  Mary  as  the  angel  had  done,  saying: 
"  Blessed  art  thou  among  women,  and  blessed  is  the  fruit 
of  thy  womb."  And  as  Jesus  is  Mary's  Son,  we  add 
"  Jesus." 

The  prayer  of  petition.  We  thus  continue  the  Angelical 
Salutation :  "  Holy  Mary,  Mother  of  God,  pray  for  us,  sin- 
ners, now  and  at  the  hour  of  our  death.  Amen."  We  beg 
Mary  to  pray  for  us.  John's  mother  is  sick.  John  would 
like  her  to  get  well.  And  so  he  says  to  Mary :  "  O  dear 
Mother  of  God,  pray  God  to  make  my  mother  well  again." 
And  Mary  prays  to  God  for  John's  mother,  and  she 
will  get  well.  Why  ?  Because  God  does  all  that  Mary  asks 
of  Him,  for  He  cannot  refuse  anything  to  the  Mother  of 
His  Son.  Therefore,  when  we  need  anything,  let  us  say : 
"  Holy  Mary,  Mother  of  God,  pray  for  us  for  .  .  ."  We 
need  Mary's  prayers,  for  we  are  all  poor  sinners.  With 
what  sin  in  our  soul  were  we  born?  And  we  have  also 
committed  sins  of  our  own,  and  perhaps  grievous  sins,  for 
which  God  can  justly  cast  us  into  hell.  Therefore,  let  us 
beg  Mary  to  pray  for  us  novo,  that  is,  every  day,  that  God 
may  forgive  us. 

But  the  most  dangerous  time  for  us  is  the  hour  of  our 
death.  Men  dread  death.  They  fear  hell  on  account  of 
their  sins.  And  the  devil  is  watching  when  men  are  dying, 
for  he  does  not  wish  them  to  be  sorry  for  their  sins;  he 
tries  to  make  them  commit  more  sins.  No  one  can  better 
help  those  who  are  dying  than  Mary.  The  devil  is  greatly 
afraid  of  her.  If  she  prays  for  us,  the  devil  cannot  harm 
us.  What  do  we  wish  Mary  to  do  for  us?  When  do  we 
ask  her  to  pray  for  us?     Why  especially  at  the  hour  of  our 


BIRTH  OF  THE  REDEEMER  81 

death  ?     You  should  all  reflect  on  this  when  you  recite  the 
Hail  Mary.     By  doing  so,  you  will  give  Mary  great  pleasure. 

20.  Birth  of  the  Redeemer. 

Object.  I  will  tell  you  to-day  how  the  Redeemer  was 
born. 

Preparation.  You  know  already  who  is  our  Redeemer, 
who  is  His  Mother,  and  who  is  her  spouse.  Where  did 
Mary  and  Joseph  live?  Bethlehem  is  also  in  Palestine. 
It  was  called  the  city  of  David,  because  that  great  king 
was  born  there.  Mary  and  Joseph  descended  from  King 
David ;  hence  we  say  that  they  were  of  the  family  of 
David.  When  the  Redeemer  was  born  Herod  was  king 
of  Judea.  He  lived  in  its  capital,  called  Jerusalem.  Herod 
had  to  obey  a  much  greater  monarch  than  himself.  This 
was  the  Emperor  Augustus,  who  lived  in  Rome  and  gov- 
erned a  great  part  of  the  world.  Augustus  wished  to  know 
how  many  people  lived  in  his  empire.  What  must  I  do 
to  find  out  how  many  children  are  here?  Count  them. 
Now  Augustus  had  to  get  the  people  in  his  empire  counted, 
in  order  to  find  out  their  number.  The  same  is  done  every 
ten  years  in  the  United  States.  This  is  called  taking  the 
census.     (Appropriate  questions.) 

Relation.  Therefore  Augustus  ordered  the  census  to 
be  taken  in  his  immense  empire.  Every  one  had  to  go 
to  his  city  to  give  in  his  name,  and  all  about  his  family. 
St.  Joseph  and  Mary  went  to  Bethlehem,  the  city  of  David, 
because  they  were  of  the  family  of  David.  But  when 
they  came  there,  the  hotels,  boarding-houses,  and  private 
houses  were  all  full  because  of  the  crowds  that  had  come 
there;  they  could  find  no  place  to  lodge  in.  They  had  to 
go  into  a  poor,  abandoned  stable  just  outside  of  the  city. 
In  this  miserable  place  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  was 
born ;  and  Mary  wrapped  Him  in  swaddling-clothes,  and 
laid  Him  on  straw  in  the  manger. 


82  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Explanation  —  The  command.  Under  what  emperor 
was  Judea?  What  did  Augustus  wish  to  know?  What 
means  did  he  use  to  find  it  out?  Where  had  Joseph  and 
Mary  to  go  on  that  account?  Taking  the  census  in  the 
United  States  is  done  differently.  Who  knows  how  it  is 
done? 

The  journey.  Where  did  Joseph  and  Mary  go  to  get 
their  names  inscribed  in  the  census  book?  Why  had  they 
to  go  there?  There  were  no  railroads  in  those  days.  Rich 
people  could  travel  in  wagons.  But  how  had  Joseph  and 
Mary  to  travel  ?  On  foot  for  three  days.  They  were  very 
tired,  and  would  have  been  glad  to  get  lodgings  in  some 
house. 

Their  arrival.  When  they  came  to  Bethlehem,  it  was 
late  in  the  evening.  They  had  no  friends  or  relatives  in 
Bethlehem  to  whom  they  could  go.  They  sought  the  public 
inn  or  lodging  place  for  strangers.  There  was  no  more 
place  for  them.  They  sought  a  lodging  elsewhere,  but  no 
one  would  give  it  to  them,  no  one  wanted  them,  for  they 
were  too  poor.  Suppose  you  would  come  to  a  strange  town 
on  a  cold  night,  and  you  could  find  no  place  to  lodge,  to 
spend  the  night !  How  would  you  feel  ?  Imagine,  then, 
how  Mary  and  Joseph  felt.  They  did  not  get  angry,  or 
complain.  They  looked  around,  and  at  last  found  that 
wretched  abandoned  stable  just  outside  the  walls.  They 
went  in  and  were  glad  to  get  that  poor  place.  It  was 
night.  The  lights  of  Bethlehem  were  put  out  one  by  one, 
until  there  was  darkness  all  over  the  city,  and  the  people 
were  all  asleep.  Mary  was  still  praying,  and  Joseph  tried  to 
fix  and  clean  up  the  miserable  place. 

The  birth  of  the  Redeemer.  All  at  once,  at  midnight, 
a  great  bright  light  lit  up  wonderfully  the  poor  stable,  and 
Mary  saw  on  her  dress  a  beautifully  bright  Baby  looking 
at  her  and  smiling.  Then  it  began  to  cry  and  hold  out  its 
little  hands  to  Mary.  She  saw  it  and  prostrated  herself 
before   it,  adored  it,  and  lovingly  and  tenderly  kissed  it 


THE  REDEEMER  83 

over  and  over  again,  and  held  it  in  her  arms.  She  could 
not  get  tired  looking  at  its  beautiful  bright  little  face.  St. 
Joseph  looked  at  it  with  reverence  and  joy,  knelt  down 
and  adored  it,  and  tenderly  kissed  it.  Then  Mary  wrapped 
up  the  Infant  Saviour  (Redeemer)  in  swaddling-clothes; 
and  where  did  she  put  Him?  In  a  fine  cradle?  No;  she 
had  none;  the  only  place  she  could  find  for  Him  was  the 
manger  out  of  which  cattle  eat ;  in  it  there  was  a  little 
straw,  and  there  she  laid  the  sweet  divine  Infant.  Oh,  how 
poor  was  the  Saviour  born,  on  a  cold  night ;  He  had  no 
bed  to  lie  on ;  no  fire  to  warm  Him ;  nothing  to  make  Him 
comfortable. 

Further  Explanation  —  The  Infant  Jesas  is  the  only- 
begotten  Son  of  God.  That  Infant  in  the  crib,  or  manger, 
is  wrapped  in  swaddling-clothes,  like  all  the  other  children 
in  Judea;  He  is  as  weak  and  helpless  as  other  children  at 
their  birth.  From  the  angel  Gabriel  we  know  that  He  is 
much  more  than  other  children.  Whose  Son  was  He  to 
be  called?  The  Son  of  the  Most  High.  Therefore  He  is 
the  Son  of  God ;  the  only  Son  of  God  the  Father. 

God  became  man.  Therefore  the  Son  of  God  became 
a  little  infant.  He  did  not  cease  to  be  God.  As  God  He 
could  not  be  seen.  Why?  But  He  could  be  seen  as  an 
infant  in  the  manger.  His  face,  His  eyes,  His  mouth,  His 
hands  and  feet,  His  whole  body  could  be  seen.  There  was 
one  thing  in  Him  that  could  not  be  seen.  It  was  His  soul, 
for  He  had  a  body  and  soul  like  ours,  which  He  took  when 
He  became  man.  He  remained  God.  Therefore  He  is 
both  God  and  man. 

The  Redeemer,  or  Saviour.  Where  was  it  that  God  the 
Son  told  God  the  Father  that  He  was  willing  to  become 
man?  In  heaven.  Why  did  He  wish  to  become  man? 
To  save  us.  What  name  was  Mary  told  to  give  Him? 
Jesus.  What  does  Jesus  mean?  Saviour.  The  Saviour 
is  the  only-begotten  Son  of  God,  who  became  man  to  save 
us. 


84  APOSTLES'  CREED 

The  Word  was  made  flesh.  We  can  also  say :  '  The 
Word  was  made  flesh  to  save  us."  Why?  Because  the 
Son  of  God  is  called  also  the  Word;  and  to  be  made  flesh 
means  also  to  become  man.  In  what  prayer  do  we  say: 
"  And  the  Word  was  made  flesh "  ?  In  the  Angelus. 
Where  was  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God,  born?  And  for  thirty- 
three  years  He  dwelt  among  us.  It  is  nearly  two  thousand 
years  since  the  Son  of  God  came  on  earth. 

Application.  Why  did  the  Son  of  God  come  upon  earth  ? 
What  would  have  become  of  men,  if  the  Son  of  God 
had  not  come  upon  earth  ?  They  would  all  be  lost.  There- 
fore we  cannot  be  grateful  enough  to  Him.  We  should 
thank  Him  for  it  by  reciting  the  Angelus  three  times  a 
day,  when  the  church  bell  rings  in  the  morning,  at  noon 
and  in  the  evening. 

The  Angelus.  The  Angelus  begins  as  follows :  "  The 
Angel  of  the  Lord  declared  unto  Mary;  And  she  conceived 
of  the  Holy  Ghost."  When  saying  this,  think  of  the  angel 
entering  Mary's  room  when  she  was  praying,  and  an- 
nouncing to  her  that  she  was  chosen  to  be  the  mother  of 
the  Redeemer ;  and  say  the  Hail  Mary.  Then  say :  "  Be- 
hold the  handmaid  of  the  Lord;  Be  it  done  unto  me 
according  to  thy  word."  This  was  Mary's  answer  to  the 
angel's  message ;  she  consented  to  become  the  mother  of 
the  Redeemer,  in  obedience  to  God's  will.  Then  say  an- 
other Hail  Mary.  After  this  say :  "  And  the  Word  was 
made  flesh;  And  dwelt  among  us."  As  soon  as  Mary 
gave  her  consent,  God  the  Son  took  a  body  and  soul  like 
ours  and  dwelt  among  us  for  thirty-three  years.  When 
you  say  these  words,  strike  your  breast,  if  you  are 
kneeling;  but  if  you  are  standing,  make  a  genuflexion. 
Then  add  a  third  Hail  Mary.  After  this  recite  the  fol- 
lowing: "Pray  for  us,  O  holy  Mother  of  God;  that  we 
may  be  made  worthy  of  the  promises  of  Christ.  Let  us 
pray.  Pour  forth,  we  beseech  Thee,  O  Lord,  Thy  grace 
into  our  hearts,  that  we,  to  whom  the  Incarnation  of  Christ, 


ADORATION  OF  THE  SHEPHERDS        85 

Thy  Son,  was  made  known  by  the  message  of  an  angel, 
may  by  His  passion  and  cross  be  brought  to  the  glory  of 
His  resurrection,  through  the  same  Christ  our  Lord. 
Amen." 

When  the  Angelus  bell  rings  in  the  morning,  children 
are  usually  asleep.  They  should  then  recite  the  Angelus 
after  rising.  If  you  are  at  home,  when  the  Angelus  bell 
rings  at  noon  and  in  the  evening,  say  it  when  the  bell 
rings.  If  you  are  outside,  you  ought  to  stop  your  play, 
your  conversation,  and  say  the  Angelus  quietly,  the  boys 
with  their  hats  off.     Always  say  it  devoutly. 

21.  The  Shepherds  adore  the  Infant  Saviour. 

Preparation.  The  first  persons  who  knew  of  the 
Saviour's  birth  were  Mary  and  Joseph. 

Object.  But,  as  I  am  going  to  relate  to  you,  God  had 
it  announced  on  the  same  night  to  some  pious  shep- 
herds. 

Relation.  In  the  neighborhood  of  the  stable  there 
were  some  pious  shepherds  in  the  fields  keeping  night- 
watch  over  their  flocks.  Suddenly  there  was  around  them 
a  very  bright  light,  and  they  feared  very  much;  an  angel 
stood  before  them,  saying:  "Fear  not;  I  announce  to 
you  tidings  of  great  joy.  To-day  in  the  city  of  David  is 
born  to  you  a  Saviour,  who  is  Christ  the  Lord.  And  this 
shall  be  a  sign  to  you;  you  will  find  an  infant  wrapped 
in  swaddling-clothes,  and  laid  in  a  manger."  And  sud- 
denly there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly 
army,  praising  God  and  saying :  "  Glory  to  God  in  the 
highest,  and  on  earth  peace  to  men  of  good  will."  Then 
the  angels  returned  to  heaven.  The  shepherds  then  said 
to  one  another :  "  Let  us  go  over  to  Bethlehem,  and  see 
what  has  been  told  us."  They  hastened  to  the  stable,  and 
found  Mary  and  Joseph,  and  the  Infant  lying  in  the  manger. 
And  after  this  they  returned  to  their  flocks,  thanking  and 


86  APOSTLES'  CREED 

praising  God.  Eight  days  later  the  Infant  was  circumcised 
and  named  Jesus,  as  the  angel  had  foretold. 

Explanation  —  The  apparition  of  the  angel.  On  the 
night  that  Jesus  was  born  the  stable  was  empty.  The 
sheep  were  in  the  fields  guarded  by  the  shepherds.  The 
shepherds  had  lighted  a  fire,  and  were  seated  around  it. 
They  had  been  speaking  about  the  Saviour  who  was  ex- 
pected to  come  soon.  Then  they  fell  asleep,  and  only  one 
shepherd  remained  on  the  watch,  walking  up  and  down. 
The  night  was  calm  and  clear  and  the  stars  were  shining 
so  nicely.  All  at  once  the  watching  shepherd  saw  a  bright 
light  in  the  heavens  coming  down  nearer  and  nearer,  and 
making  everything  as  bright  as  the  noon-day.  Greatly  as- 
tonished, he  awoke  the  other  shepherds ;  they  sprang  up ; 
the  light  around  them  was  so  bright  that  they  could  no 
longer  see  the  stars  or  the  fire.  They  were  dazzled  and 
got  afraid.  In  the  midst  of  the  bright  light  they  beheld 
an  angel  clothed  in  shining  white  garments ;  his  face  looked 
heavenly.  They  were  so  much  afraid  that  they  fell  down  to 
the  ground.  But  the  angel  had  come  to  bring  them  good 
news. 

The  message  of  the  angel.  What  did  he  say  to  them? 
Why  should  they  rejoice?  How  did  the  angel  call  the 
Saviour  ?  Did  he  tell  them  where  He  was  born  ?  In  which 
city?     Did  he  tell  them  how  they  would  find  Him? 

The  hymn  of  the  angels.  The  shepherds  listened  joy- 
fully and  devoutly  to  what  the  angel  said  to  them.  Then 
they  saw  a  multitude  of  other  bright  angels  in  the  air 
around  them,  so  that  there  was  like  a  street  of  light  up  to 
heaven.  And  all  the  angels  sang.  What  did  they  sing? 
How  sweet  and  beautiful  was  their  singing!  It  was  a 
heavenly  melody  in  the  quiet  night  extending  from  earth 
to  heaven.  Since  then  men  also  sing  the  beautiful  hymn 
of  the  angels.  The  priest  intones  (begins)  it  at  the  high 
Mass,  and  the  choir  continues  it.  It  is  called  the  Gloria. 
But  men  cannot  sing  it  so  beautifully  as  the  angels. 


ADORATION  OF  THE  SHEPHERDS        87 

The  shepherds  seek  the  Infant  Saviour.  Suddenly  the 
angels  all  disappeared.  Whither  did  they  return?  The 
shepherds  stood  a  long  time  looking  up  to  heaven  after  the 
angels.  But  they  at  last  remembered  what  the  angel  had 
told  them  about  the  Infant  Saviour,  and  said  to  one  an- 
other: "Let  us  go  over  to  Bethlehem,  and  see  what  the 
Lord  hath  told  us."  You  may  be  sure  the  shepherds  has- 
tened as  fast  as  they  could  in  order  to  go  to  Jesus.  They 
came  to  the  stable,  knocked  at  the  door,  and  St.  Joseph  came 
to  open  it  and  asked  them  what  they  wished.  They  related 
what  the  angel  had  told  them,  and  what  they  had  seen  and 
heard. 

The  shepherds  find  the  Infant  Saviour.  Full  of  joy  St. 
Joseph  let  them  in.  There  they  found  everything  as  the 
angel  had  told  them.  Whom  did  they  see  there?  Greatly 
wondering,  they  stood  around  the  Infant  Saviour  lying  on 
straw  in  a  manger.  His  Mother  had  not  even  a  little  room 
or  a  little  bed  for  Him.  For  Jesus,  the  Lord  of  heaven 
and  earth,  Mary,  the  best  and  holiest  of  mothers,  had 
found  only  a  stable,  the  dwelling  of  cattle.  The  cold  wind 
was  blowing  through  the  cracks  in  the  walls.  Jesus  had 
to  endure  cold  at  His  very  birth.  But  the  shepherds  knew 
from  the  angel  that  the  poor  Infant  in  the  manger  was  the 
long  expected  Redeemer. 

The  return  of  the  shepherds.  Where  did  the  shepherds 
go  after  seeing  and  adoring  the  Infant  Jesus?  On  their 
way  back  to  their  flocks  they  thanked  and  praised  God, 
sang  pious  hymns,  and  spoke  of  the  Infant  Saviour  just 
born. 

The  Circumcision.  What  happened  when  Jesus  was  a 
week  old?  He  was  circumcised.  His  skin  was  cut,  and 
He  bled  a  little.  On  that  day  He  received  the  name  of 
Jesus.  WTho  foretold  that  He  would  receive  that  name? 
The  angel.     When? 

Explanation  —  Jesus.  Why  did  the  angel  say  that  He 
should  be  named  Jesus?     What  does  Jesus  mean?     From 


88  APOSTLES'  CREED 

what  was  He  to  save  or  redeem  us?  Sin  had  made  our 
souls  slaves  of  the  devil,  and  Jesus  was  to  redeem  them 
from  sin.  The  angel,  when  speaking  to  the  shepherds,  had 
called  Him  Saviour.  Why  was  Bethlehem  called  the  city 
of  David?  His  father  was  a  shepherd,  and  David  also 
had  been  a  shepherd  in  his  youth. 

Christ.  David  was  very  good,  pious  and  pleasing  to 
God.  Therefore  God  intended  that  he  should  become  king 
of  the  Jews.  The  prophet  Samuel,  a  man  of  God,  was 
ordered  by  God  to  anoint  David's  head  with  oil  in  His 
name.  David  was  an  anointed  of  God;  by  this  anointing 
he  was  made  king  of  God's  chosen  people.  Jesus  is  also  a 
king,  the  King  of  heaven  and  earth.  He  is  also  called  "  the 
Anointed,"  or  Christ,  for  Christ  means  the  Anointed. 

Our  Lord.  Who  called  the  Redeemer  Christ?  What 
other  name  did  the  angel  give  Him?  The  Lord.  Jesus 
Christ  is  our  Lord.  Why?  Because  He  is  God.  Who 
had  become  our  master  on  account  of  sin?  The  devil. 
But  the  devil  did  not  always  remain  our  master.  Why? 
Who  is  now  our  Master,  or  Lord?  Jesus  Christ  is,  then, 
twice  our  Master,  our  Lord.     How  is  that? 

Humiliation.  God  is  infinitely  rich  and  powerful.  To 
Him  belongs  all  that  is  in  heaven  and  on  earth.  The  Son 
of  God  could,  if  He  had  wished,  when  He  became  man 
for  us,  have  been  born  in  a  splendid  palace,  and  laid  on 
a  bed  of  the  finest  silk  in  a  golden  cradle.  But  in  what 
kind  of  building  was  He  born?  What  kind  of  bed  had 
He  ?  He  wished  to  be  born  in  great  poverty  and  suffering. 
For  our  sake  He  wished  to  suffer  already  from  His  very 
birth. 

Summary.  Let  us  recite  all  the  names  given  to  the  In- 
fant Jesus  in  the  manger  (crib).  How  did  the  angel, 
that  was  sent  to  Mary  and  Joseph,  call  Him  ?  Jesus.  How 
do  you  call  Him?  The  Infant  Jesus.  Whose  Son  did  the 
angel  say  that  Jesus  was?  The  Son  of  the  Most  High. 
Whose  Son  is  He  then?    The  Son  of  God.     We,  there- 


ADORATION  OF  THE  SHEPHERDS        89 

fore,  call  Him  also  the  Divine  Infant.  How  is  He  called, 
because  the  Father  has  only  one  Son?  The  only-begotten 
Son  of  God.  How  did  the  angel  call  Him,  when  speaking 
to  the  shepherds?  The  Saviour,  Christ,  the  Lord.  Who 
were  the  first  to  come  and  adore  the  Divine  Infant? 
Where  did  they  come  from?  From  the  neighborhood. 
And  how  did  they  find  out  that  the  Saviour  was  born? 
An  angel  came  from  heaven  to  tell  them. 

Application  —  Poverty.  Some  of  you  have  parents 
that  are  poor ;  therefore  you  have  no  fine  clothes,  and  suffer 
from  cold  in  winter.  But  none  of  you  are  so  poor  as  the 
Infant  Jesus.  You  have  a  soft  bed  to  sleep  in,  and  you 
do  not  live  in  a  stable.  When  you  see  other  children  with 
better  clothes  and  many  more  good  things  than  you  have, 
do  not  envy  them,  do  not  be  displeased,  but  say :  "  For 
the  love  of  me  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God,  became  poor,  and 
for  the  love  of  Him  I  will  willingly  bear  my  poverty." 
Blessed  Herman  Joseph  was  very  poor.  Many  a  time  he 
had  to  go  to  school  very  hungry  and  without  any  breakfast. 
He  would  then  each  time  kneel  down  and  pray  before  a 
statue  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  holding  the  Infant  Jesus  in 
her  arms,  saying:  "Dear  little  Infant  Jesus,  this  morn- 
ing I  got  only  a  very  small  piece  of  bread  to  eat,  and  I 
am  still  so  hungry.  But  I  will  be  contented.  Thou  art 
the  Son  of  God,  and  Thou  hast  suffered  want."  Then 
Herman  Joseph  would  go  cheerfully  to  school.  Dear  chil- 
dren, like  Herman  Joseph,  be  content,  for  the  love  of  the 
Infant  Jesus,  with  the  little  you  have. 

Christmas.  We  all  rejoice  very  much  because  our 
Saviour  was  born.  He  was  born  during  the  night.  That 
night  has  been  blessed  and  sanctified.  What  is  it  called? 
Christmas  night.  In  memory  of  that  night  we  celebrate 
every  year  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  December  the  great  feast 
of  Christmas.  In  Catholic  countries,  and  where  the  bishops 
allow  it,  Mass  is  then  celebrated  at  midnight,  because  the 
Infant   Jesus,   our    Saviour,    was    born   at   midnight.     On 


90  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Christmas  night  Almighty  God  presented  to  us  what  He 
loved  above  everything  else,  His  only-begotten  Son.  In 
remembrance  of  this  most  precious  of  gifts,  children  receive 
Christmas  gifts.  (Santa  Claus  is  not  Catholic;  it  is  a 
Protestant  invention  and  institution,  a  corruption  of  the 
Catholic  practice  of  honoring  and  rejoicing  over  the  birth 
of  Jesus  Christ.)  Christmas  is  essentially  a  Catholic  feast, 
on  which  we  remember,  and  thank  God  for  the  gift  of 
His  divine  Son  as  our  Saviour. 

Advent.  Children  rejoice  long  beforehand  on  account 
of  Christmas ;  they  can  hardly  wait  for  it.  The  Church 
has  set  apart  four  weeks  to  prepare  for  Christmas  in  re- 
membrance of  the  four  thousand  years,  during  which  men 
were  anxiously  waiting  for  the  coming  of  the  promised  Re- 
deemer. These  four  weeks  are  called  Advent.  During 
this  time  the  Church  repeats  the  prayers  and  sighs  of  the 
holy  persons  yearning  for  the  coming  of  the  Redeemer. 
(Rorate  coeli.) 

Veneration  of  the  name  of  Jesus.  Who  is  the  Just  One, 
whom  the  clouds  should  rain  down  from  heaven?  The 
Redeemer,  Jesus  Christ.  The  name  Jesus  was  given  Him 
by  God  Himself.  It  is  a  most  holy  name.  When  it  is 
pronounced,  all  the  angels  bend  the  knee.  When  we  say 
the  Hail  Mary,  we  bow  our  head  at  the  name  of  Jesus. 
In  some  Catholic  countries  those  who  meet  a  priest,  say: 
"Praised  be  Jesus  Christ."  And  the  priest  answers: 
"  Forever."  That  is  a  much  better  and  more  appropriate 
greeting  than  "  Good  morning,"  "  Good  evening." 

The  picture.  Explain  the  picture.  Where  is  the  Infant 
Jesus?  In  what  is  He  wrapped  up?  On  what  does  he  lie? 
Where  are  the  shepherds?  Where  is  Mary?  Where  is 
St.  Joseph?  How  do  you  know  it  is  a  stable?  The  ox 
and  the  ass.  Where  is  the  manger?  But  it  is  night. 
Where  does  the  light  come  from?  From  above,  or  from 
the  Infant  Jesus?  Where  are  the  angels?  What  do  they 
remind  you  of? 


HOLY  MASS  91 

22.  On  Holy  Mass. 

(Adapted  from  Canon  Meyerberg's  Catechetical  Instruc- 
tion.) 

Dear  Children,  what  did  the  angel  say  on  Christmas 
night  to  the  shepherds?  "I  announce  to  you  tidings  of 
great  joy.  This  night  the  Saviour  was  born  in  the  city 
of  David."  I  will  announce  to  you  a  similar  event  you 
have  yourselves  witnessed.  It  is  Sunday.  In  this  town 
(city)  everything  is  quiet.  (The  catechist  should  give 
some  local  details.)  The  carpenter,  the  blacksmith,  the 
farmers  are  not  engaged  in  their  every-day  work.  Every- 
thing is  so  quiet,  so  solemn.  The  large  church  bell  sud- 
denly rings  in  the  quiet  morning,  beautifully,  earnestly 
and  long.  The  people  are  going  out  of  their  houses.  They 
are  better  dressed  than  on  other  days.  From  every  side 
people  are  coming  to  church.  The  children  also  are  com- 
ing. The  bell  continues  to  ring.  It  seems  as  if  it  was 
speaking.  It  tells  something  to  all  the  people,  to  the  chil- 
dren. And  the  bell  causes  all  to  come  from  far  and  near. 
What  does  the  bell  say?  The  bell  says  almost  the  same 
thing  as  the  angel  of  Christmas  said :  "  I  announce  to  you 
a  great  joy  this  day;  come  to  church;  the  Saviour  is  born." 
What  does  the  bell  say?  (Answered  by  the  children.) 
The  bell  tells  you  also:  "My  child,  I  announce  to  you 
a  great  joy;  to-day  during  Holy  Mass  the  Saviour  will  be 
born."  You  know,  dear  children,  that  the  shepherds  were 
very  happy.  The  angel  had  said  to  them :  '  You  shall 
see  the  Saviour."  And  we  all  wish  to  be  as  happy  as  they. 
Just  think  of  how  holy  and  great  a  thing  is  about  to  take 
place!  Our  dear  Lord  Himself,  our  Saviour,  will  be  born 
during  Mass  in  this  church.     He  will  come  to  us. 

What  did  the  shepherds  do?  They  hastened  to  Beth- 
lehem. They  did  not  stop  on  the  way  and  stand  looking 
all  around.  And  they  found  Mary  and  Joseph  and  the 
Infant  Saviour  lying  in  the  manger.     There  is  a  school- 


92  APOSTLES'  CREED 

boy,  a  schoolgirl,  who  are  going  to  church;  the  bell  tells 
them :  "  I  announce  to  you  a  great  joy ;  to-day  the  Saviour 
is  born."  But  they  stop  and  look  around,  and  perhaps 
are  doing  some  mischief.  The  bell  continues  to  ring;  but 
they  do  not  hear  the  bell  any  more.  Other  children  come 
along  and  join  them.  They  walk  a  few  steps  towards  the 
church,  and  something  else  attracts  their  attention,  and  they 
stop  to  look.  But  the  bell  continues  to  ring,  saying: 
"  Come,  I  announce  to  you  a  great  joy."  At  last  the  bell 
stops  ringing;  it  has  spoken  loud  and  long  enough.  The 
children  enter  the  church  late,  much  too  late.  Are  these 
children  like  the  shepherds?  Are  their  guardian  angels 
pleased  with  them?  (Here  admonitions  may  be  given  ap- 
propriate to  the  circumstances  of  the  people  and  the  place.) 

Divine  service  will  soon  begin  in  the  church.  There  the 
little  bells  will  also  begin  to  ring.  On  Christmas  night  an 
angel  said:  "I  announce  to  you  tidings  of  great  joy." 
Suddenly  a  multitude  of  angels  joined  him  and  all  praised 
God,  singing  "  Glory  to  God  on  high,"  etc.  In  like  man- 
ner, the  little  bells  will  repeat  what  the  large  bell  has  said. 
What  will  they  say  to  us? 

Entering  the  church.  You  now  come  to  the  church. 
But  I  must  first  relate  something  to  you.  There  was  once 
a  holy  man  called  Bernard.  He  was  fond  of  going  to 
church.  When  he  would  come  to  the  church  door,  he 
would  first  turn  around  and  look  back.  And  then  only 
would  he  go  in.  One  day  his  pupils  asked  him :  "  Father 
Bernard,  why  do  you  always  turn  around  and  look  back, 
when  you  come  to  the  church  door?"  He  said:  "I  will 
tell  you.  I  stand  still  in  front  of  the  church  and  look 
back.  Then  I  say  in  my  heart :  You  worldly  thoughts, 
you  street  thoughts,  you  must  now  stay  outside.  I  will 
think  on  God  only." 

Dear  children,  you  must  do  likewise.  Of  course,  you 
need  not  turn  around  in  front  of  the  door.     That  would 


HOLY  MASS  93 

cause  great  confusion  among  those  who  are  going  in.  But 
I  will  tell  you  how  you  must  act.  What  do  you  find  on 
entering  the  church?  Who  knows?  What  do  grown  peo- 
ple take  there?  Yes,  holy  water;  water  blessed  by  the 
priest.  His  blessing  has  made  it  holy.  On  entering  the 
church  you  devoutly  take  holy  water,  not  with  your  whole 
hand,  but  only  with  the  tip  of  your  fingers.  (Do  not  play 
in  or  with  the  holy  water.)  And  then  what  do  you  do? 
Make  the  sign  of  the  cross.  When  you  place  your  right 
hand  on  your  forehead  you  should  remember  that  it  means : 
"  My  child,  leave  all  your  street  thoughts,  your  thoughts 
of  school,  of  play,  outside.  Think  of  God;  you  are  now 
in  His  house,  and  He  is  there  in  the  tabernacle  waiting 
for  you.  Remember  where  you  are;  think  on  God,  and 
adore  Him  really  present."  Then  look  closely  at  the  priest 
who  says  Mass,  and  if  you  have  a  prayer-book,  recite  the 
prayers  in  it  for  hearing  Mass.  Do  not  look  around.  If 
you  catch  yourself  thinking  of  things  outside,  check  your- 
self, try  to  drive  away  such  thoughts,  and  begin  to  pray 
again  and  pay  devout  attention  to  the  priest  saying  Mass. 
By  acting  in  this  way,  you  will  please  God  and  draw  His 
blessing  upon  yourself. 

In  church,  especially  during  Mass,  you  must  not  speak, 
but  keep  silence.  You  should  speak  to  God  only,  that  is, 
pray  to  Him.  In  ancient  times  there  was  a  holy  man,  a 
prophet  of  God.  He  spoke  in  the  name  of  God,  and  fore- 
told things  that  were  going  to  happen,  for  God  had  made 
them  known  to  him.  He  spoke  to  the  Jews  about  behaving 
in  church.  What  he  said  was  very  beautiful.  Listen  at- 
tentively :  '  The  Lord  is  in  His  temple ;  let  the  whole 
earth  keep  silence  before  Him."  Remember,  then,  that 
God  is  in  the  church,  and  every  one  should  keep  silence 
in  it,  and  not  talk.  The  whole  earth,  all  men  should  keep 
silent  in  His  presence.  What,  then,  should  we  think  of 
those  boys  and  girls,   who  talk,   whisper  to  one  another 


94  APOSTLES'  CREED 

in  church,  and  never  think  of  God.  Are  they  more  than 
the  whole  earth  ?  God  is  in  His  own  house,  and  those  who 
come  into  it,  must  not  talk  with  their  companions,  but  must 
speak  only  to  God,  that  is,  pray  to  Him. 

When  you  bless  yourself,  you  next  place  your  right  hand 
on  your  breast,  in  which  your  heart  is  placed.  And  this 
means  as  if  God  said  to  you :  "  My  child,  give  Me  thy 
heart.  Give  Me  all  that  thou  hast.  Give  Me  thy  inmost 
heart,  the  best  thing  that  thou  hast.  Give  Me  thy  whole 
soul,  all  thy  strength.  Give  me,  especially  in  church,  thy 
heart  with  thy  pious  prayers.  Give  Me  a  pure,  obedient, 
pious,  upright  heart,  a  heart  that  tries  always  to  be  good." 
And  when  you  touch  your  shoulders  with  your  right  hand, 
it  means  this :  "  My  child,  be  ready  to  carry  thy  little  cross 
for  Jesus  as  He  carried  His  for  thee.  Take  upon  thy 
shoulders  the  burden  of  keeping  the  commandments  of 
God  and  of  His  Church.  For  only  by  doing  this,  thou 
canst  gain  heaven." 

And  when,  on  entering  the  church,  you  make  the  sign 
of  the  cross  with  holy  water,  say  devoutly :  "  In  the  name," 
etc.  And  go  into  the  church  in  the  name  of  God  the  Father, 
who  created  you,  and  all  the  stars,  plants,  flowers,  birds, 
fishes  and  animals.  To  Him  all  things  belong.  He  is 
everywhere,  but  especially  in  the  church,  which  is  His 
temple.  Let  the  whole  earth  keep  still  before  Him.  You 
enter  the  church  also  in  the  name  of  God  the  Son,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus,  our  Saviour.  In  the  church,  you  will,  like 
the  shepherds,  find  Jesus.  The  bell  truly  says :  "  I  an- 
nounce to  you  a  great  joy.  To-day  in  this  church,  during 
Holy  Mass,  the  Saviour  will  be  born."  You  enter  the 
church  also  in  the  name  of  God  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  will 
Himself  descend  into  your  heart.  The  Holy  Ghost  breathes 
(distributes  His  gifts)  when  and  where  He  pleases.  You 
do  not  know  where  He  comes  from,  nor  where  He  goes. 
But  He  comes  down  to  the  children  who  are  devout  in 
church,  for  He  loves  children  very  much,  and  He  quietly 


PRESENTATION  OF  JESUS  95 

comes  clown  into  their  souls  like  a  soft  wind  in  spring.  He 
helps  you  to  pray  from  your  inmost  heart,  and  to  say: 
"  Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven." 


23.  The  Presentation  of  Jesus  in  the  Temple  of 

Jerusalem. 

Preparation.  In  Catholic  countries  it  is  customary  for 
a  mother  to  bring  her  month-old  baby  to  church.  There 
she  kneels  before  the  altar  to  thank  God  for  giving  her 
that  child;  she  promises  God  that  she  will  raise  him  so 
piously,  that  he  may  be  able,  at  the  end  of  his  life,  to  go 
to  heaven.  In  ancient  times  it  was  the  custom  among  the 
Jews  that  mothers  should  bring  to  church  their  first-born 
boys,  forty  days  after  they  were  born.  There  was  only 
one  church  in  all  Judea ;  it  was  in  Jerusalem.  It  was  very 
large,  and  was  called  the  Temple.  Here  the  mother  would 
hand  her  baby  to  the  priest;  and  the  priest,  holding  it  in 
his  arms,  would  offer  it  to  God.  This  was  called  the 
presentation  of  the  child  to  God.  In  offering  her  child  to 
God  through  the  priest,  the  mother  meant  to  say :  "  I 
wish  to  offer  my  child  to  God;  it  should  belong  to  God." 
What  did  the  Jewish  mothers  offer  to  God  in  the  temple? 
How  did  they  do  it? 

Object.  I  will  now  tell  you  how  Mary  and  Joseph  pre- 
sented the  Infant  Jesus  to  God. 

Relation.  When  Jesus  was  forty  days  old,  Mary  and 
Joseph  brought  Him  to  Jerusalem,  in  order  to  present  Him 
to  God.  At  the  same  time  they  made  the  offering  of  the 
poor  —  two  young  doves.  At  that  time  there  lived  in  Jeru- 
salem a  God-fearing  old  man,  named  Simeon.  He  longed 
and  prayed  ardently  for  the  coming  of  the  Redeemer.  In- 
spired by  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  came  to  the  temple  just  as 
Mary  and  Joseph  were  bringing  Jesus  in.  Simeon  took 
the  Infant  Jesus  in  his  arms,  praised  God  saying:  "Lord, 
I  can  now  die  in  peace,  for  my  eyes  have  seen  the  Saviour." 


96  APOSTLES'  CREED 

In  Jerusalem  there  was  a  pious  widow  eighty-four  years 
old,  called  Anna.  She  served  God  day  and  night  in  fasting 
and  prayer.  She  also  came  to  the  temple  at  the  same  time, 
praised  God  for  having  been  able  to  see  the  Saviour,  and 
spoke  of  the  Infant  Saviour  to  all  who  were  waiting  for 
the  redemption. 

Explanation  —  The  journey.  After  Jesus  was  born 
Mary  and  Joseph  remained  for  a  time  in  Bethlehem. 
Where  did  they  bring  Jesus  when  He  was  forty  days  old? 
On  the  way  Mary  sat  on  a  donkey,  carefully  holding  the 
Infant  Jesus  in  her  arms.  She  had  covered  Him  with 
her  large  veil.  Joseph  walked,  leading  the  donkey  by  the 
bridle.  Spring  had  already  begun,  and  the  early  flowers 
were  already  in  bloom.  In  two  hours  they  reached  Jeru- 
salem, that  beautiful  city.  Just  as  a  young  bird  peeps  from 
its  nest  through  the  leaves  of  the  tree,  so  the  Infant  Jesus 
was  peeping  with  His  lovely  eyes  through  Mary's  veil  on 
the  city  and  temple.  How  the  little  heart  of  the  Saviour 
was  beating!  Our  Saviour  had  long  dwelt  there  as  God. 
Now  He  came  as  man  for  the  first  time  into  the  temple. 
With  great  joy  He  looked  at  everything,  for  He  knew  that 
the  temple  was  the  house  of  His  Father.  Jesus  is  the  Son 
of  God ;  He  was  therefore  the  Lord  and  God  of  the  temple. 
Why  did  Joseph  and  Mary  bring  the  Infant  Jesus  to  the 
temple?  How  did  they  present  Him  in  the  temple?  They 
handed  the  Divine  Infant  to  the  priest,  and  the  priest  held 
Him  towards  heaven  to  offer  Him  to  God,  as  if  he  would 
say:  "Dear  Lord,  this  Child  shall  belong  to  Thee."  The 
priest  then  gave  Him  back  to  Mary  and  Joseph. 

Mary's  Offering.  Jewish  mothers  had  to  do  also  some- 
thing else.  The  rich  ones  had  to  offer  a  lamb  to  God  in 
the  temple;  but  the  poor  mothers  had  to  offer  only  two 
doves.  Which  offering  did  Mary  make?  Why?  Because 
she  was  poor. 

Simeon  and  Anna.  Who  can  tell  me  which  two  persons 
came  into  the  temple  just  when   Mary  and  Joseph  were 


PRESENTATION  OF  JESUS  97 

bringing  the  Infant  Jesus?  Were  they  young?  No;  for 
Simeon  is  called  an  old  man.  He  was  pious  and  feared 
offending  God  by  committing  sin.  At  that  time  all  pious 
persons  were  expecting  the  Redeemer.  Simeon  was  ex- 
pecting the  Redeemer;  but  because  he  was  very  old,  he 
feared  he  would  not  live  long  enough  to  see  the  Redeemer. 
So  he  prayed  to  God  every  day  to  send  the  Redeemer,  so 
that  he  might  see  Him  before  his  death.  The  Holy  Ghost 
rewarded  his  intense  desire  by  promising  him  that  he  should 
not  die  before  seeing  the  Redeemer.  That  was  a  great 
joy  for  him.  He  used  to  go  daily  to  the  temple  to  pray 
and  wait  for  the  Redeemer  to  come.  On  the  day  when 
Mary  and  Joseph  came  to  the  temple  with  the  Infant  Jesus, 
the  Holy  Ghost  made  known  to  him :  "  To-day  the  Re- 
deemer will  surely  come  to  the  temple.  Go  there  and  you 
will  see  Him."  Did  Simeon  go  that  day  to  the  temple 
to  see  the  Redeemer?  Yes,  he  went  that  day  very  early 
to  the  temple,  that  he  might  not  miss  seeing  Him,  just 
like  children,  who  go  very  early  to  see  a  parade,  so  that 
they  may  not  miss  seeing  it.  Simeon  was  led  by  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  the  temple.  When  Mary  and  Joseph  came  with 
the  Infant  Jesus,  Simeon  was  already  there  waiting.  As 
soon  as  he  saw  them,  he  recognized  the  Infant  Jesus  as 
the  Redeemer.  He  at  once  came  to  them,  knelt  down, 
bowed  deeply  before  the  Divine  Infant.  Probably  the  In- 
fant Jesus  bent  down  towards  him,  to  show  to  Mary  that 
He  wished  to  go  to  him.  Simeon  held  out  his  arms  to 
Jesus,  and  Mary  put  Jesus  in  Simeon's  arms.  Oh,  with  how 
great  reverence  and  love  the  holy  old  man  pressed  the  In- 
fant Jesus  to  his  heart !  Then  holding  Him  out  in  front 
of  him,  to  take  a  good  look  at  Him,  he  gazed  at  the  Infant 
Jesus  with  unspeakable  love.  He  saw  in  the  Infant's  eyes 
a  light  that  grew  brighter  and  brighter,  and  at  last  en- 
lightened the  whole  world.  Oh,  how  happy  Simeon  felt ! 
He  felt  as  if  he  would  now  willingly  die,  since  he  had  seen 
the  Redeemer.     What  did  he  say? 


98  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Who  praised  God  after  Simeon  for  the  coming  of  the 
Redeemer?  Anna.  What  was  she?  A  very  old  widow. 
She  was  much  bent  in  walking,  and  had  to  lean  on  a  stick. 
She  was  very  lean,  because,  for  the  love  of  God,  she  used 
to  fast,  that  is,  she  ate  very  little.  Moreover,  she  prayed 
much  day  and  night.  The  Holy  Ghost  made  known  to 
Anna  that  the  Infant  Mary  held  in  her  arms  was  the  Re- 
deemer. How  did  Anna  manifest  her  joy?  She  praised 
God,  and  in  doing  so,  her  thin,  pale  face  looked  flushed 
(red)  and  beautiful,  and  her  eyes  brightened  with  joy. 
The  people  who  were  then  in  the  temple  listened  to  her 
words.  She  said :  "  The  Redeemer,  whom  we  have  so 
long  expected,  has  now  come.  He  is  here  in  the  temple ; 
look  at  Him;  there  He  is;  that  Child  in  His  Mother's 
arms."  Our  Infant  Saviour  was  much  pleased  with  those 
two  holy  persons,  and  gave  them  His  blessing.  And  Mary 
and  Joseph  wondered  how  Simeon  and  Anna  had  found  out 
that  the  Infant  Jesus  was  the  Redeemer.  Although  He 
was  only  an  infant,  the  shepherds,  Simeon  and  Anna  had 
praised  Him  as  the  Redeemer. 

Further  Explanation  —  The  intention  in  the  offering. 
Why  did  Mary  and  Joseph  bring  the  Divine  Infant  to  the 
temple?  How  was  the  ceremony  of  His  presentation  per- 
formed? What  did  the  priest  mean  to  say?  Whilst  the 
priest  was  holding  Him  towards  heaven,  the  Infant  Jesus 
offered  Himself  for  us  to  God  the  Father,  saying  in  His 
Heart :  "  Dear  Father  in  heaven,  Thou  hast  willed  that 
I  should  become  man  to  redeem  all  men.  I  am  willing  to 
suffer  and  die  for  them,  as  Thou  wiliest  that  I  should  do." 
Mary  also  offered  the  Divine  Infant  to  God  at  the  same 
time,  for  she  said  in  silence :  "  Dear  Father  in  heaven,  I 
will  not  keep  this  Child  for  myself.  I  offer  Him  again  to 
Thee.  Thou  wiliest  that  He  should  suffer  and  die  for  men ; 
I  am  satisfied  with  Thy  holy  will.     May  it  always  be  done !  " 

Summary.     How  old  was  the  Infant  Jesus,  when  Mary 


PRESENTATION  OF  JESUS  99 

and  Joseph  brought  Him  to  the  temple?  And  why  did 
they  bring  Him  there?  Because  Simeon  saw  a  great  light 
in  the  eyes  of  the  Infant  Jesus,  when  He  was  presented 
(offered)  in  the  temple,  we  celebrate  a  feast  every  year, 
in  which  wax  candles  are  blessed  and  carried  around  in 
procession.  That  feast  is  called  Candlemas-day.  It  is  cele- 
brated on  the  second  of  February,  forty  days  after  Christ- 
mas. 

Application  —  The  Offertory  of  the  Mass.  As  Mary 
and  Joseph  went  with  the  Infant  Jesus  to  the  temple,  so 
you  go  to  church  on  Sundays  and  Holydays  to  assist  at 
Floly  Mass.  When  the  priest  says  Mass,  he  has  before 
him  on  the  altar,  a  gilt  silver  chalice,  and  on  it  a  gilt 
silver  little  plate,  and  on  the  plate  is  a  thin  round  white 
bread,  called  the  host.  Over  all  this  is  a  nice  silk  cover. 
When  the  priest  takes  off  that  cover,  the  altar  boy  rings 
a  little  bell.  The  priest  next  takes  in  his  hands  the  little 
silver  plate  with  the  host  on  it,  and  raises  it  towards  God 
in  heaven,  just  as  the  priest  in  the  temple  raised  the  Infant 
Jesus  heavenward.  The  altar  boy  then  brings  wine  and 
water  to  the  priest,  who  pours  some  of  each  into  the  chalice, 
and  then  raises  the  chalice  heavenward.  What  did  the 
priest  in  the  temple  mean  to  say,  when  he  raised  the  Infant 
Jesus  towards  God?  The  priest  in  the  church  says  the 
same  to  God  when  he  raises  heavenward  the  host  and  the 
chalice,  saying  (in  substance)  :  "  O  God,  I  offer  these  to 
Thee;  deign  to  accept  them;  they  belong  to  Thee."  (Ap- 
propriate questions  on  the  foregoing.)  What  is  the  Offer- 
tory in  the  Mass?  What  does  the  priest  do  at  the  Offer- 
tory? During  the  Offertory  you  should  imitate  the  Infant 
Jesus.  What  did  He  say  to  His  heavenly  Father,  when 
the  priest  was  offering  Him  to  God?  So  ought  you  also 
to  do  during  the  Offertory,  saying  to  God  from  your  heart : 
"  Dear  Lord,  I  wish  to  be  all  Thine ;  I  give  Thee  my  body 
and  my  soul,  my  whole  self."     When  should  you  say  this 


ioo  APOSTLES'  CREED 

in  your  heart?  How  do  you  know  when  the  Offertory 
begins?  You  must,  therefore,  pay  attention  to  the  priest 
during  Mass. 

24.  The  Wise  Men  from  the  East  adore  the  Re- 
deemer. 

Preparation.  Mary  and  Joseph,  the  pious  shepherds 
and  Simeon  and  Anna  rejoiced  greatly  because  the  Re- 
deemer was  born.  They  had  long  expected  Him.  How 
did  they  know  that  a  Redeemer  was  to  come?  To  whom 
had  God  promised  Him?  To  whom  did  Adam  and  Eve 
relate  this?  To  prevent  men  from  forgetting  during  four 
thousand  years  the  promise  of  a  Redeemer,  God  repeated 
from  time  to  time  this  promise  to  the  Jews.  This  He 
did  through  holy  men,  called  prophets.  God  made  many 
things  known  to  the  prophets  about  the  coming  of  the 
Redeemer.  One  of  them  told  the  Jews  that  the  Redeemer 
would  be  born  when  a  wonderful  star  would  be  seen  in 
the  heavens.  Another  said  that  the  Redeemer  would  be 
born  at  Bethlehem.  (Appropriate  questions  on  the  fore- 
going.) 

What  the  prophets  foretold  about  the  Redeemer  was 
written  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  or  the  Bible.  The  Bible 
contains  holy  things  revealed  or  inspired  by  God.  The 
Jews  were  fond  of  reading  the  Holy  Scriptures.  Some 
of  them  became  so  learned,  that  they  knew  almost  all  the 
Holy  Bible  by  heart.  They  were  called  scribes.  But  the 
Jews  were  not  the  only  people  that  knew  that  the  Redeemer 
would  come.  Even  the  pagan  nations  knew  it;  they  had 
heard  it  from  the  Jews,  etc. 

Object.  When  the  Redeemer  was  born,  three  kings 
came  from  pagan  countries  to  adore  the  Infant  Jesus.  I 
will  now  tell  you  all  about  it. 

Relation.  When  Jesus  was  born  at  Bethlehem,  wise 
men    came    from    the    East    to    Jerusalem.     They    asked : 


ADORATION  OF  THE  WISE  MEN        101 

"  Where  is  He  that  is  born  king  of  the  Jews  ?  For  we 
have  seen  His  Star  in  the  East,  and  are  come  to  adore 
Him."  When  King  Herod  heard  this,  he  was  frightened. 
He  called  all  the  scribes  together,  and  asked  them  where 
Christ  was  to  be  born.  They  answered :  "  At  Bethlehem 
in  the  tribe  of  Juda."  Then  Herod  sent  the  wise  men  to 
Bethlehem,  and  said  to  them :  "  Go  there,  and  seek  the 
Child  carefully,  and  when  you  have  found  Him,  come  and 
let  me  know  where  He  is,  and  I  also  will  go  to  adore 
Him." 

The  wise  men  set  out  immediately  for  Bethlehem.  And 
the  wonderful  Star  went  ahead  of  them  to  show  them 
the  way.  When  they  got  near  the  stable,  the  Star  stopped 
directly  over  it.  When  the  wise  men  saw  the  Star,  they 
were  overjoyed.  They  went  into  the  stable,  and  found 
the  Child  with  Mary,  His  Mother.  They  prostrated  them- 
selves and  adored  the  Infant  Jesus.  They  also  offered  Him 
gold,  incense  and  myrrh.  During  the  night  God  com- 
manded them  not  to  go  back  to  Herod.  They  returned 
to  their  country  by  another  route. 

Explanation  —  The  wise  men  come  to  Jerusalem. 
Show  me  where  the  sun  rises.  The  countries  in  that  di- 
rection are  called  the  East.  The  East  was  far  from  Jeru- 
salem. Who  came  from  the  East  when  Jesus  was  born? 
How  many  were  they?  They  were  smart  and  learned. 
They  were  as  rich  as  kings,  and  were  very  pious.  Later 
on  they  even  became  saints.  Hence  they  are  called  "  the 
three  holy  kings."  They  rode  on  camels,  and  had  many 
servants  with  them. 

Where  did  they  first  seek  the  Redeemer?  In  Jerusalem. 
How  did  they  inquire  for  Him?  They  thought  that  He 
was  the  son  of  a  king.  Why  did  they  seek  Him  in  Jeru- 
salem? Because  King  Herod  dwelt  there.  How  did  they 
know  that  the  Redeemer  was  born?  They  had  seen  a 
new  and  wonderful  Star  suddenly  shining  in  the  heavens. 
The  Star  came  towards  them,  and  grew  always  larger  and 


102  APOSTLES'  CREED 

brighter.  They  had  never  before  seen  such  a  star.  It 
was  truly  wonderful.  Now  they  knew  that  that  wonderful 
Star  was  the  Star  foretold  by  the  prophet.  What  was  to 
happen  when  that  Star  would  appear?  Therefore,  when 
they  came  to  Jerusalem,  they  said :  "  We  have  seen  His 
Star."  How  did  Herod  feel,  when  he  heard  this?  He 
was  frightened,  and  thought  in  his  heart :  "  Who  is  this 
newly  born  king?  Shall  I  be  no  longer  king?"  What 
was  it  that  Herod  could  not  tell  the  wise  men?  Whom 
did  he  ask  about  it?  Why  could  the  scribes  know  it? 
What  answer  did  they  give? 

Herod  sends  the  wise  men  to  Bethlehem.  Where  did 
Herod  tell  the  wise  men  to  go?  What  did  he  tell  them  to 
do?  What  did  he  mean  by  this?  He  meant  that  the  wise 
men  should  seek  Him  and  inquire  about  Him,  until  they 
should  find  Him.  To  whom  were  they  to  make  known 
where  the  Redeemer  was?  And  why  should  they  tell  it 
to  him?  Herod  only  said  so,  but  he  meant  something  very 
different.     He  meant  to  go  and  kill  the  Infant  Jesus. 

The  wise  men  on  their  way  find  the  Infant  Jesus.  The 
wise  men  left  Herod.  Where  did  they  go?  But  they  did 
not  know  which  of  the  infants  in  Bethlehem  was  the  Re- 
deemer. Who  showed  them  the  way  to  the  Infant  Jesus? 
The  Star.  From  the  time  they  had  left  their  country  they 
had  not  seen  the  Star  any  more.  But  as  soon  as  they  got 
out  of  Jerusalem,  the  Star  suddenly  appeared  before  them. 
But  it  did  not  do  this  of  its  own  accord.  Who  commanded 
the  Star  to  go  before  them  ?  Now  they  knew  for  sure  that 
they  were  on  the  right  road.  How  did  they  feel,  when 
they  saw  the  Star?  Where  did  the  Star  stop?  The  Star 
shed  bright  rays  of  light  on  the  entrance  of  the  stable,  as 
with  a  lighted  finger  pointing  to  it. 

The  wise  men  find  the  Infant  Jesus.  Before  entering 
the  stable  the  wise  men  put  on  their  finest  clothes.  Then 
they  went  slowly  with  their  servants  in  procession  into  the 
stable.     Whom  did  they  find  in  it  ?     Mary  was  sitting  down 


ADORATION  OF  THE  WISE  MEN        103 

with  the  Infant  Jesus  in  her  lap.  She  bowed  kindly  to  the 
three  wise  men  and  showed  them  the  Infant  Jesus.  They 
looked  at  Him  with  reverence  and  joy.  How  did  they  call 
the  Infant  Jesus  when  they  inquired  about  Him  in  Jeru- 
salem? What,  then,  was  the  Infant  Jesus?  He  was  truly 
a  king,  but  not  a  king  like  Herod,  nor  an  emperor  like 
Augustus.  He  is  a  much  greater  and  better  king.  Where 
is  His  throne?  In  the  kingdom  of  Heaven.  He  is  the 
King  of  heaven  and  earth.  And  even  much  more.  Whose 
Son  is  He? 

The  wise  men  worship  the  Divine  Infant.  How  did 
the  wise  men  wish  to  worship  the  Divine  Infant?  Mary, 
for  that  reason,  held  Him  standing  on  her  lap  turned  to- 
wards them.  The  wise  men  (holy  kings)  knelt  before 
Him  with  hands  joined,  and  adored  Him.  The  Divine 
Infant  looked  at  them  with  His  bright  little  eyes  in  a  kind 
and  friendly  way,  and  raised  His  little  hands  upwards,  as 
if  to  give  them  His  blessing.  Probably  Mary  allowed  them 
to  kiss  His  hands  and  to  hold  Him  a  little  while  in  their 
arms.  After  the  wise  men  their  servants  likewise  knelt 
and  adored  the  Infant  Jesus. 

The  gifts  of  the  three  wise  men.  Each  of  the  wise  men 
had  brought  a  gift  for  the  Infant  Saviour.  They  were  glori- 
ous gifts,  the  best  of  the  things  the  country  of  each  of  them 
produced.  What  did  the  first  one  offer?  Gold.  You  all 
know  what  gold  is.  What  things  are  made  of  gold?  What 
did  the  second  wise  man  offer  to  the  Infant  Jesus?  In- 
cense. You  have  already  seen  incense  in  church.  What 
is  it  used  for?  It  is  laid  on  burning  coals  in  the  censer, 
and  then  rises  heavenward  as  a  sweet  fragrant  smoke. 
What  did  the  third  wise  man  offer?  Myrrh.  We  have 
no  myrrh  in  our  country.  It  is  a  fine  resin.  Why  did 
the  wise  men  bring  most  precious  gifts  to  the  Infant  Jesus? 
They  thought  that,  since  the  Infant  Jesus  was  God,  they 
should  give  Him  the  best  of  what  they  had.  They  stayed 
a  whole  day  with  Jesus.     They  related  about  the  wonderful 


104  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Star  and  their  journey.  When  taking  leave  of  Mary  they 
wept,  for  it  pained  them  to  go.  They  asked  Mary  and 
Joseph  to  remember  them.  They  also  invited  them  to  come 
and  see  them,  saying :  "  All  that  we  have  shall  be  yours." 
Then  they  again  adored  Jesus  and  departed. 

The  wise  men  return  to  their  country.  They  remained 
over  night  in  Bethlehem,  and  soon  fell  asleep.  They  had 
a  dream.  Who  appeared  to  them  in  their  dream?  What 
did  God  say  to  them  ?  "  King  Herod  intends  to  kill  the 
Infant  Jesus."  To  which  city  did  they  not  return?  How 
did  they  return  to  their  country?  What  was  it  that  Herod 
did  not  find  out?  How  did  Herod  fail  to  murder  the  Infant 
Jesus?     Who  protected  Him? 

Explanation  —  Meaning  of  the  gifts.  Who  were  the 
first  to  hear  of  the  birth  of  the  Infant  Jesus?  How  did 
they  find  it  out?  Where  did  the  wise  men  come  from? 
How  did  they  learn  of  the  birth  of  the  Redeemer?  Why 
did  they  go  to  Him?  What  did  the  first  wise  man  offer 
Him?  Gold.  Why?  Because  Jesus  Christ  is  King,  and 
kings  wear  crowns  of  gold.  What  did  the  second  wise  man 
offer  Him?  Incense.  Wrhere  is  incense  used?  How  is 
it  used?  Towards  whom  does  incense  rise?  Heavenward 
to  God.  Jesus  is  God,  and  to  honor  Him  as  God  the  smoke 
of  burning  incense  is  made  to  rise  heavenward.  What  did 
the  third  wise  man  offer?  Myrrh.  Myrrh  is  bitter.  Our 
Saviour  suffered  bitter  pains  to  redeem  us.  The  bitter 
taste  of  myrrh  should  remind  us  of  the  bitter  passion  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Why  did  the  wise  men  offer  to  the  Infant 
Jesus  gold,  incense  and  myrrh? 

Application  —  The  Infant  Jesus  comes  to  us  at  the  Con- 
secration of  the  Mass.  Where  did  the  three  wise  men 
(kings)  come  from?  The  distance  from  the  East  to  Beth- 
lehem is  very  great.  They  had  to  travel  many  days  to 
reach  Bethlehem.  They  did  not  fear  hardships  and  fa- 
tigue ;  nothing  seemed  too  difficult  to  them,  if  they  could 
only  come  to  Jesus.     You  boys  and  girls  need  not  go  so 


ADORATION  OF  THE  WISE  MEN        105 

far  to  find  Jesus.  Where  do  we  find  Him?  In  the  church. 
Every  day  Jesus  comes  on  earth  at  the  Consecration  of  the 
Mass.  He  is  hidden  in  the  Sacred  Host ;  therefore  we  can- 
not see  Him. 

Adoration  at  the  Consecration.  The  priest  raises  heaven- 
ward the  Infant  Jesus  in  the  Sacred  Host,  and  the  altar 
boy  rings  the  little  bell ;  and  there  is  a  deep  silence  all 
over  the  church.  You  should  then  adore  the  Infant  Jesus, 
as  the  three  wise  men  adored  Him.  How  did  they  adore 
Him?  Therefore,  kneel  down,  bow  your  head,  then  look 
at  the  Sacred  Host,  whilst  you  say  in  your  heart :  "  Jesus, 
my  Lord  and  my  God ;  I  adore  Thee,  I  love  Thee."  When 
the  priest  raises  the  chalice  containing  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  altar  boy  again  rings  the  bell.  Then  bow  your 
head,  and  then  look  up  at  the  chalice  and  strike  your  breast, 
saying :  "  O  Jesus,  have  mercy  on  me,  for  whom  Thou 
didst  shed  all  Thy  blood." 

The  offering.  But  it  is  not  enough  to  adore  the  Infant 
Jesus ;  you  should,  like  the  wise  men,  make  Him  an  offer- 
ing. The  Infant  Jesus  does  not  ask  of  you  gold,  incense 
and  myrrh ;  but  He  wishes  you  to  give  Him  something 
more  precious.  During  Mass  you  should  offer  yourselves 
to  the  Infant  Jesus.  How  do  you  call  that  part  of  the 
Mass,  in  which  you  should  do  this?  What  should  you  then 
say?  "O  Jesus,  I  offer  Thee  my  body  and  my  soul,  my 
whole  self  to  Thee."  The  Infant  Jesus  wishes  especially 
for  your  heart.  Therefore,  give  Him  your  heart.  There- 
fore when  the  priest  raises  the  little  silver  plate  with  the 
host  on  it,  you  should  in  thought  place  your  heart  on  that 
little  plate,  and  say :  "  Sweet  Infant  Jesus,  I  now  offer 
Thee  my  little  heart."  But  not  every  heart  pleases  the  In- 
fant Jesus.  What  kind  of  heart  pleases  Him  ?  From  what 
must  such  a  heart  be  free? 

The  Communion.  The  Infant  Jesus  comes  into  a  pure 
heart.  He  comes  during  every  Mass  into  the  heart  of  the 
priest.     But   before   He   enters   it,   the   priest   strikes   His 


106  APOSTLES'  CREED 

breast  three  times,  saying  each  time :  "  Lord,  I  am  not 
worthy,"  etc.  This  part  of  the  Mass  is  called  the  Com- 
munion. It  follows  some  time  after  the  Consecration. 
Each  time  the  priest  then  strikes  his  breast,  the  altar  boy 
rings  the  bell.  You  also  should  then  strike  your  breast 
three  times,  saying  each  time,  like  the  priest :  "  Lord,  I 
am  not  worthy,"  etc.  After  the  third  time  say :  "  O  Jesus, 
sweet  Jesus,  come  to  me.  See,  my  heart  longs  for  thee." 
Or  you  may  say :  "  Dear  little  Infant  Jesus,  come  to  me 
and  make  me  good  and  pious."  And  Jesus  will  joyfully 
come  and  dwell  in  your  heart. 

The  presence  of  Jesus  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  The 
wise  men  could  not  remain  long  with  the  Infant  Jesus. 
They  had  to  return  home.  You  remember  how  sorry  they 
felt  when  they  took  leave,  for  they  would  never  again  have 
the  chance  to  come  to  Him.  But  you  can  go  every  day  to 
the  Infant  Jesus ;  for  He  not  only  comes  on  the  altar  at 
the  Consecration  of  Holy  Mass,  but  He  remains  all  day 
in  the  church.  The  church  is  His  house;  He  stays  there 
in  the  tabernacle.  The  tabernacle  is  like  His  manger.  We 
cannot,  indeed,  see  the  Infant  Jesus  as  the  shepherds  and 
the  wise  men  saw  Him.  But  He  is  always  there.  The 
wonderful  Star  is  also  there.  It  is  not  so  large  and  so 
bright  as  the  wise  men  saw  it.  It  is  the  perpetual  light, 
the  lamp  that  is  always  kept  lighted  before  the  tabernacle. 
Have  you  not  remarked  how  it  flares  and  trembles?  It 
is  like  a  fiery  little  tongue  speaking  to  you :  "  Child,  Jesus 
dwells  here."  Jesus  is  glad  if  you  often  visit  Him;  He 
expects  your  visits;  He  dearly  loves  those  who  visit  Him. 

How  to  go  into  the  church.  The  wise  men  went  slowly 
and  orderly,  as  in  a  procession,  into  the  stable  where  Jesus 
was.  So  you  also  should  go  slowly  and  orderly  into  the 
church,  taking  holy  water  and  blessing  yourself  with  it 
when  going  in,  and  making  a  genuflexion  towards  the  taber- 
nacle before  you  go  into  the  pew.  The  genuflexion  should 
be  your  greeting  to  Jesus  in  the  tabernacle.     After  entering 


THE  FLIGHT  TO  EGYPT  107 

and  kneeling  down  in  the  pew,  what  prayers  should  you 
say?  "In  the  name  of  the  Father,"  etc.  In  leaving  the 
church,  you  should  make  the  sign  of  the  cross  before  going 
out  of  the  pew,  and  genuflect  two  by  two  towards  the 
tabernacle,  turn  towards  the  door,  looking  neither  to  the 
right  nor  to  the  left  to  gaze  at  the  people,  and  at  the 
entrance  bless  yourself  with  holy  water  before  you  are  out 
of  the  church.     (Practise  this  with  the  children.) 

25.  Flight  of  the  Holy  Family  to  Egypt. 

Preparation.  Who  came  first  to  adore  the  Infant 
Jesus?  Who  told  them  that  the  Redeemer  was  born? 
Who  were  the  two  pious  persons  that  worshiped  the  Infant 
Jesus  in  the  temple  of  Jerusalem?  Who  came  a  great 
way  from  the  East  to  adore  the  Infant  Jesus?  How  did 
they  find  out  that  He  was  born?  All  these  persons  re- 
joiced, because  they  were  allowed  to  see  the  Redeemer. 
Herod  also  had  heard  of  His  birth.  But  this  news  gave 
him  no  joy.  What  did  he  mean  to  do  to  the  Infant 
Saviour?  Why?  Because  he  thought  Jesus  would  later 
on  take  away  his  kingdom  and  become  king  in  his  place. 
But  Herod  had  no  reason  to  fear  the  Infant  Jesus,  for 
Jesus  did  not  intend  to  take  away  from  any  one  what  he 
had.  He  came  to  redeem  men  and  make  them  happy. 
Herod  wished  to  find  out  from  the  wise  men  where  the 
Infant  Jesus  was ;  but  he  had  not  told  them  what  he  meant 
to  do  to  Him.  He  had  not  told  it  to  any  one.  But  God 
saw  all  those  evil  thoughts  in  Herod's  heart.  How  did 
God  take  care  to  prevent  Herod  from  finding  out  where 
the  Infant  Jesus  was?  What  did  he  command  the  wise 
men  to  do?  The  wise  men  did  not  go  back  to  Herod. 
But  the  danger  was  not  yet  over.  What  had  Herod  learned 
from  the  scribes  about  the  Infant  Saviour?  He  also  knew 
about  how  old  Jesus  was.  Thus  he  had  still  a  good  chance 
to  find  Him  out. 


108  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Object.  Now  listen,  and  you  will  learn  how  the  Infant 
Jesus  was  saved. 

Relation.  During  the  night  an  angel  of  God  appeared 
to  Joseph  and  said  to  him :  "  Arise,  take  the  Child  and 
His  Mother,  and  flee  to  Egypt,  and  stay  there  till  I  tell 
thee;  for  Herod  is  seeking  the  Child,  that  he  may  kill 
Him."  Joseph  got  up  at  once,  and  during  that  very  night 
he  took  the  Child  and  His  Mother  and  started  for  Egypt. 
Herod  had  waited  for  some  time  for  the  return  of  the 
wise  men.  Seeing  that  they  did  not  come  back  to  him,  he 
got  very  angry.  He  sent  soldiers  to  kill  all  the  baby  boys 
under  two  years  of  age  in  and  around  Bethlehem.  The 
soldiers  obeyed,  and  killed  all  they  could  find.  There  arose 
great  lamentations,  and  the  mothers  of  those  little  ones 
would  not  be  consoled.  Not  long  after  Herod  died  a  most 
awful  death.  Later  on  the  angel  of  God  appeared  to 
Joseph  in  Egypt,  and  said  to  him :  "  Arise,  and  take  the 
Child  and  His  Mother,  and  return  to  the  land  of  Israel." 
Joseph  immediately  obeyed,  and  left  Egypt,  went  to  Galilee 
and  dwelt  at  Nazareth. 

Explanation  —  The  angel's  order.  How  did  St.  Joseph 
find  out  that  Herod  wished  to  kill  the  Divine  Infant?  An 
angel  appeared  to  him  during  the  night.  What  did  the 
angel  say  to  him?  "Arise,"  etc.  What  was  Joseph  to  do 
with  the  Child  and  His  Mother?  Flee,  that  is,  go  away 
as  fast  as  he  could.  Where  should  he  go?  To  Egypt,  a 
country  very  far  off,  where  Herod  had  no  power. 

The  flight.  Joseph  did  not  wait  till  morning.  How  did 
he  fulfil  the  order  of  the  angel?  Oh,  how  hard  it  was  for 
Joseph  and  Mary  to  start  so  hurriedly  in  the  night,  to  go 
so  far  to  a  strange  country,  where  they  were  perfect  stran- 
gers. Mary  wept,  because  the  Infant  Jesus,  so  young,  had 
to  flee.  But  Mary  and  Joseph  were  not  mad  about  this; 
they  thought :  "  God  wills  it."  Mary  awoke  the  Infant 
Jesus,  wrapped  Him  carefully  and  took  Him  in  her  arms. 
Then  she  sat  on  the  donkey,  and  Joseph  led  the  donkey 


MASSACRE  OF  THE  INNOCENTS        109 

by  the  bridle.  In  this  way  they  left  Bethlehem  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  night.  The  moon  was  shining.  They  went 
through  the  streets  and  alongside  of  the  houses,  in  which 
all  were  sound  asleep.  Mary  and  Joseph  traveled  many 
days.  There  were  hardly  any  roads,  and  they  often  suf- 
fered from  hunger  and  thirst.  They  often  got  very  tired, 
especially  Mary,  because  she  had  to  hold  the  Infant  Jesus 
continually  in  her  arms.  In  the  evening  they  sat  down 
under  some  tree;  they  ate  a  little.  The  Infant  Jesus  slept 
in  their  midst,  and  Mary  and  Joseph  usually  slept  on  the 
ground  in  the  open  air.  Sometimes  they  stopped  over 
night  in  some  small  village.  At  last  they  reached  Egypt. 
There  they  lived  in  a  very  small  house.  St.  Joseph  worked 
as  a  carpenter,  and  earned  hardly  enough  for  their  wants. 
Mary  employed  herself  in  spinning,  making  woolen  cloth 
and  sewing. 

The  stay  in  Egypt.  In  Egypt  nearly  all  the  inhabitants 
were  pagans.  They  adored  cats,  alligators  and  other  ani- 
mals. This  greatly  pained  Mary  and  Joseph.  Mary  would 
sit  in  the  evening  outside  their  little  house,  and  St.  Joseph 
would  cull  some  wild  flowers  to  amuse  little  Jesus.  It  was 
there  that  Jesus  learned  how  to  speak,  that  He  put  on  His 
first  dress  and  took  His  first  steps.  Often  when  sitting 
at  Mary's  feet,  He  would  play  with  other  children.  When 
Joseph  came  home  in  the  evening,  Jesus  would  go  to  meet 
him.  Joseph  usually  brought  Him  some  fruit.  Jesus  would 
bring  and  show  it  to  His  Mother.  Already  little  Jesus 
began  to  help  Mary  and  Joseph  a  little. 

The  massacre  of  the  Innocents  at  Bethlehem.  What 
happened  in  Judea  when  Mary,  Joseph  and  the  Infant  Jesus 
were  on  their  way  to  Egypt?  The  wise  men  on  their  way 
home  had  not  passed  through  Jerusalem.  Herod  in  vain 
waited  for  them.  He  suddenly  found  out  that  they  had 
already  long  before  started  on  their  way  home.  He  got 
fearfully  angry.  He  said :  "  Yes,  I  will  yet  catch  that 
child.     I  will  order  all  the  baby  boys  under  two  years  of 


no  APOSTLES'  CREED 

age  in  and  around  Bethlehem  to  be  killed,  and  I  shall  be 
sure  of  having  the  Infant  Jesus  among  them."  Therefore 
Herod  sent  soldiers  to  Bethlehem  with  strict  orders  to  kill 
at  once  all  the  baby  boys  under  two  years  of  age.  Where 
were  the  soldiers  ordered  to  go?     What  should  they  do? 

The  soldiers  obeyed  Herod's  cruel  order.  They  entered 
all  the  houses  in  Bethlehem,  and  all  the  houses  in  all  the 
places  near  Bethlehem,  and  where  they  found  a  little  boy 
two  years  old  and  less,  they  pulled  him  out  of  his  mother's 
arms  or  out  of  his  little  bed,  and  stabbed  him  to  death 
with  their  swords.  The  poor  mothers  did  all  they  could 
to  save  their  baby  boys,  and  wept  and  sobbed  aloud.  In 
every  house  were  heard  loud  cries  and  lamentations.  The 
mothers  would  say :  "  Oh,  my  dear  little  boy  !  How  cruelly 
they  have  killed  you !  "  The  friends  and  relatives  of  the 
mothers  came  and  tried  to  console  them ;  but  the  mothers 
would  not  be  consoled,  and  continued  to  cry  and  lament 
for  many  days. 

Herod's  death.  Who  was  the  cause  of  all  this  grief  and 
sorrow?  Herod.  But  God  punished  Herod  for  his  cruel 
deed.  God  sent  him  a  terrible  disease.  Fearful  sores 
broke  out  all  over  his  body,  and  these  sores  were  all  full 
of  worms  eating  up  his  flesh ;  and  the  sores  spread  a  most 
horrible  stench,  so  that  no  one  could  stand  it.  And  he 
died  in  the  most  intense  pains. 

The  return  to  Nazareth.  How  did  Joseph  find  this  out 
in  Egypt  ?  An  angel  appeared  to  him  and  said :  "  Arise," 
etc.  Israel  here  means  the  land  of  the  Jews.  How  did 
Joseph  obey  the  order  of  the  angel?  The  land  of  Israel 
was  large;  there  were  many  towns  and  villages  in  it.  In 
what  town  were  Mary  and  Joseph  living  before  they  went 
to  Bethlehem?  In  Nazareth.  It  was  to  Nazareth  that 
Joseph  and  Mary  with  the  Child  Jesus  went  after  return- 
ing from  Egypt.  Nazareth  is  a  town  of  Galilee  ;  and  Galilee 
was  a  part  of  the  land  of  the  Jews.  (Questions  on  the 
foregoing. ) 


ST.  JOSEPH,  FOSTER-FATHER  OF  JESUS  in 

Further  Explanation  —  Joseph,  the  foster-father  of 
Jesus.  Joseph  and  Mary  worked  and  cared  for  the  Child 
Jesus,  just  as  your  father  and  mother  do  for  you.  Whose 
Son  was  the  Child  Jesus  from  all  eternity?  The  Son  of 
God.  Who  was  His  Father?  God  the  Father  in  heaven. 
St.  Joseph  was  not  His  real  father,  but  he  cared  for  the 
Child  Jesus,  as  a  good  father  cares  for  his  son.  He  worked 
in  order  to  provide  Jesus  with  food  and  with  all  His  needs. 
How  did  he  save  Jesus  from  being  killed  by  Herod?  On 
the  way  to  and  from  Egypt  St.  Joseph  had  to  take  care 
that  no  harm  should  happen  to  Jesus,  and  that  He  should 
have  a  place  to  rest  at  night.  Therefore  he  is  called  the 
foster-father  of  Jesus.  St.  Joseph  represented  God  the 
Father  on  earth  towards  Jesus. 

The  Holy  Family.  Who  is  the  Mother  of  Jesus? 
Father,  mother  and  children  make  and  are  called  a  family. 
What  were  Jesus,  Mary  and  Joseph  together?  A  family. 
All  three  are  holy,  and  are,  therefore,  called  the  Holy 
Family. 

The  Holy  Innocents.  Why  did  the  Son  of  God  come 
upon  earth?  To  redeem  us.  He  wished  to  redeem  us  by 
suffering,  and  finally  by  dying  for  us.  He  wished  first 
to  grow  up  as  man  and  teach  men.  Therefore  the  heavenly 
Father  protected  Him  against  Herod.  How  was  the  In- 
fant Jesus  saved  from  death?  Who  were  killed  by  order 
of  Herod?  Many  baby  boys.  These  little  boys  had  to 
die  to  save  the  Infant  Jesus.  They  were  entirely  innocent. 
Therefore  they  are  called  the  Holy  Innocents.  They  have 
a  beautiful  place  in  heaven.  They  are  near  the  throne  of 
God,  and  pray  for  the  children  on  earth.  They  pray  espe- 
cially for  those  who  invoke  them.  We  invoke  them  when 
we  say:  "Holy  Innocents,  pray  for  us."  The  Church 
celebrates  every  year  a  feast,  on  which  we  especially  honor 
and  invoke  the  Holy  Innocents.  How  is  it  called?  Feast 
of  the  Holy  Innocents. 

Connection.     The  Holy  Innocents  are  in  heaven  with 


112  APOSTLES'  CREED 

God.  Who  else  are  also  in  heaven?  The  saints  and  an- 
gels. What  do  they  do?  Praise,  sing,  pray  and  serve. 
Since  the  Infant  Jesus  came  on  earth  angels  often  come 
down  from  heaven  on  earth.  To  whom  did  an  angel  first 
appear  on  account  of  the  Infant  Jesus?  To  the  Blessed 
Virgin  Mary.  What  did  he  announce  to  Mary?  Who  can 
tell  me  to  whom  else  did  the  angel  appear  on  account  of 
the  Infant  Jesus?  Three  times  to  St.  Joseph;  to  the  shep- 
herds first  one  angel,  then  many.  On  no  one  else's  account 
have  so  many  angels  and  so  often  come,  than  on  account 
of  the  Infant  Jesus.  Why?  Because  He  is  the  Son  of 
God. 

Summary.  Did  the  Holy  Family  always  remain  in  the 
Jewish  country?  No.  Where  had  they  to  flee?  To 
Egypt.  Wrhy?  Where  did  the  Holy  Family  live  after  re- 
turning from  Egypt?     In  Nazareth. 

Application  —  St.  Joseph  our  protector.  St.  Joseph  was 
the  foster-father  and  protector  of  Jesus  Christ.  He 
watched  over  Him  and  protected  Him.  St.  Joseph  pro- 
tects us  also.  He  is  greatly  pleased,  when  we  invoke  His 
protection ;  and  he  always  helps  us,  if  we  pray  earnestly 
to  Him.  Therefore  he  is  also  our  protector.  We  ought, 
then,  to  pray  daily  to  him.  It  was  St.  Joseph's  guardian 
angel  who  told  him  to  flee  with  the  Infant  Jesus.  God 
has  given  to  each  of  us  also  a  guardian  angel  to  remain 
day  and  night  near  us,  and  to  protect  our  body  and  soul. 
Wfhat  should  we  do  to  have  him  protect  us  against  all 
evil?     Pray  to  him.     How  can  you  do  so? 

26.  The  twelve-year-old  Child  Jesus  in  the  Temple 

of  Jerusalem. 

Preparation.  Where  did  the  Holy  Family  live  after 
their  return  from  Egypt?  How  did  Jesus  behave  in  Naza- 
reth towards  His  parents?  The  Child  Jesus  grew  in  age 
and  size  just  like  other  children.     When  He  was  twelve 


JESUS  IN  THE  TEMPLE  u 


6 


years  old  He  went  again  to  Jerusalem.  When  had  He 
been  there  before?  At  His  presentation  in  the  temple. 
The  temple  was  the  most  beautiful  and  grand  building  in 
Judea.  It  was  built  on  a  hill ;  and  many  wide  steps  led 
to  it.  The  doors  were  covered  with  gold;  golden  flowers 
adorned  the  walls,  and  even  the  floor  was  gilt.  Before 
the  holy  place  in  it  there  was  a  large  silk  curtain  beau- 
tifully embroidered.  It  was  in  that  temple  that  the  Jews 
made  their  offerings  to  God,  prayed  to  God,  and  sang  holy 
hymns.  We  have  a  church  in  almost  every  town.  But 
among  the  Jews  there  was  only  one  temple.  Where 
was  it?  In  other  places  there  was  only  a  small  house  of 
prayer.  Where  had  the  Jews  to  go  when  they  visited  the 
temple  ? 

Object.  When  the  Child  Jesus  was  twelve  years  old, 
He  went  to  Jerusalem  with  His  parents,  and  remained  there 
three  days  after  they  had  departed.  I  will  now  relate  this 
to  you. 

Relation.  When  Jesus  was  twelve  years  old  He  went 
with  His  parents  to  Jerusalem  for  the  feast  of  Easter. 
After  the  days  of  the  feast  were  over,  Joseph  and  Mary 
returned.  But  the  Boy  Jesus  remained  in  Jerusalem  with- 
out His  parents  knowing  it.  They  traveled  a  whole  day, 
and  then  sought  Jesus  among  their  relatives  and  friends; 
but  they  did  not  find  Him ;  therefore  they  went  back  to 
Jerusalem.  And  it  was  only  on  the  third  day  that  they 
found  Jesus  in  the  temple.  He  was  sitting  among  the 
doctors  and  men  learned  in  the  law  of  God,  listening  to 
them,  answering  them  and  asking  them  questions.  All 
those  who  heard  Him,  wondered  at  His  knowledge  and  an- 
swers. His  Mother  said  to  Him :  "  Son,  why  hast  Thou 
done  so  to  us  ?  Behold  Thy  father  and  I  have  sought  Thee 
sorrowing.  And  Jesus  said  to  them:  How  is  it  that  you 
sought  Me:  did  you  not  know,  that  I  must  be  about  My 
Father's  business?"  And  Jesus  went  with  them  to  Naza- 
reth, and  was  subject  to  them,  and  remained  with  them 


ii4  APOSTLES'  CREED 

till  He  was  thirty  years  old.  And  Jesus  advanced  in  wis- 
dom and  age,  and  grace  with  God  and  men. 

Explanation  —  The  journey  to  Jerusalem.  Pious  chil- 
dren are  fond  of  going  to  church.  On  which  day  must 
we  go  to  church?  That  is  not  very  difficult  for  us.  Why? 
The  church  is  not  very  far  off.  But  it  was  not  so  easy 
for  the  Jews.  How  many  churches  were  there  in  their 
country?  How  was  that  church  called?  Where  was  the 
temple?  Most  of  the  Jews  lived  very  far  from  Jerusalem. 
They  had  to  walk  not  only  for  hours,  but  for  whole  days, 
to  get  there.  Therefore  the  Jews  were  obliged  to  go  to 
the  temple  at  most  only  on  the  three  great  feasts  in  the 
year.  Easter  was  the  chief  of  those  feasts.  Mary  and 
Joseph  used  to  travel  every  year  for  Easter  to  Jerusalem. 
People  went  there  from  all  the  towns  and  villages,  so  that 
there  was  a  procession  on  every  road.  In  a  procession 
the  people  walk  in  order.  Who  go  first?  Who  go  next? 
Who  follow?  So  it  was  among  the  Jews  going  to  and 
returning  from  Jerusalem.  The  little  children  had  to  stay 
at  home. 

How  old  was  Jesus  when  He  first  went  for  Easter  to 
Jerusalem  with  His  parents?  The  people  of  Nazareth 
traveled  together.  It  was  a  long  procession.  The  boys 
went  first.  With  them  was  the  little  Saviour  Jesus.  On 
the  way  there  was  praying  and  singing.  Jesus  prayed 
and  sang  along  such  psalms  as :  "I  rejoiced  in  what  was 
said  to  me:  We  shall  go  into  the  house  of  the  Lord." 
And :  "  How  lovely  are  Thy  tabernacles,  O  Lord  of  hosts ; 
my  soul  longeth  for  the  courts  of  the  Lord."  It  was  in 
spring ;  the  flowers  they  saw  on  the  way  were  in  full  bloom. 
The  journey  lasted  three  days ;  much  of  the  way  was  over 
steep  hills.  Jesus  surely  felt  tired ;  but  He  went  along 
willingly.  He  rejoiced  at  the  thought :  "  I  shall  see  the 
temple  and  pray  in  it." 

The  parents  lose  Jesus.  There  were  many  sights  in 
Jerusalem.     It  was   full  of  large  and  beautiful  buildings 


JESUS  IN  THE  TEMPLE  115 

and  fine  stores.  It  was  filled  with  people  from  every  coun- 
try. Many  had  come  on  camels.  There  was  much  to  de- 
light, astonish  and  amuse  boys.  But  our  little  Saviour 
paid  no  attention  to  all  this.  Where  did  He  go?  What 
took  place  in  the  temple?  In  the  temple  there  was  also 
a  school  in  which  learned  men  explained  Holy  Scripture. 
They  sat  on  a  platform.  The  feast  of  Easter  lasted  eight 
days.  Jesus  was  nearly  the  whole  time  in  the  temple. 
What  did  Mary  and  Joseph  do  when  the  feast  was  over? 
They  started  for  home  with  the  other  people  from  Nazareth. 
They  returned  home  in  the  same  order  as  they  had  come. 
What  was  this  order?  The  children  were  not  with  their 
parents.  In  this  way  Mary  and  Joseph  traveled  a  whole 
day.  But  where  was  the  Boy  Jesus?  Joseph  and  Mary 
believed  He  had  been  with  the  other  boys  in  front.  When 
did  they  miss  Him?  What  did  they  then  do?  Among 
whom  did  they  seek  Him?  But,  as  they  did  not  find  Him, 
they  got  very  anxious  about  Him.  What  did  they  then  do  ? 
On  the  whole  way  back  to  Jerusalem  they  inquired  about 
Jesus.  How  long  did  they  seek  Him?  Where  did  they 
find  Him? 

Jesus  listens  to  the  teachers  in  the  temple.  Our  divine 
Saviour  had  remained  in  the  temple.  After  praying  a  long 
time,  He  went  to  the  school  in  the  temple.  He  took  a 
seat  among  the  listeners,  and  paid  great  attention  to  what 
the  teachers  said.  He  was  also  asked  questions.  He  easily 
answered  every  question  they  asked  Him.  He  knew  every- 
thing much  better  than  even  the  teachers  themselves.  His 
answers  were  so  clear  and  correct,  that  every  one  looked 
at  Him  with  astonishment.  They  could  have  listened  to 
Him  for  hours  without  getting  tired.  They  said :  "  There 
never  has  been  so  smart  and  prudent  a  twelve-year-old 
boy  like  Him."  In  the  evening  Jesus  went  out  of  the 
temple  and  sought  a  place  to  sleep  in.  The  next  morning 
He  went  early  to  the  temple,  and  after  praying  long  and 
devoutly,  He  visited  the   school.     The  people  there  were 


n6  APOSTLES'  CREED 

waiting  for  Him  and  made  Him  sit  in  front.  He  again 
listened  very  attentively,  and  gave  the  very  best  answers. 
At  last  the  most  learned  and  smart  men  came  to  question 
and  examine  Him. 

Jesus  also  teaches.  Now  the  little  Saviour  began  also 
to  ask  questions  and  examine  the  teachers.  He  asked  them : 
"Will  the  Saviour  come?"  They  answered:  "Yes." 
Then  He  asked:  "Of  what  tribe  is  the  Saviour  to  be?" 
They  replied :  "  Of  the  tribe  of  Juda."  He  then  asked : 
"Of  what  family?"  They  said:  "Of  the  family  of 
David."  Then  He  asked :  "  In  what  city  was  He  to  be 
born?"  They  answered:  "In  Bethlehem,  the  city  of 
David."  You  see  that  they  gave  correct  answers.  After 
this  He  asked  them:  "When  is  the  Redeemer  to  come?" 
They  replied :  "  When  a  wonderful  Star  shall  appear  in 
the  heavens."  Then  He  asked  them :  "  Has  the  Redeemer 
come  already?"  They  said:  "No."  But  little  Jesus 
said :  "  He  has  come  already ;  for  has  not  that  wonderful 
Star  already  appeared  ?  "  They  answered :  "  No,  it  is  not 
true."  And  they  grew  envious  and  got  very  angry  and 
vexed.  But  Jesus  continued :  "  Have  you  not  heard  how 
the  three  wise  men  from  the  East  came  to  Jerusalem,  and 
asked  about  the  newly  born  King  of  the  Jews  ?  This  King 
is  the  promised  Redeemer.  Have  you  not  heard  how 
those  wise  men  related  that  they  had  seen  the  Redeemer's 
Star?  Did  not  Herod  call  the  scribes  together,  and  ask 
them  where  the  Redeemer  was  to  be  born  ?  Did  not  Herod 
send  the  wise  men  to  Bethlehem?  And  have  you  already 
forgotten  that,  on  account  of  it,  Herod  later  on  ordered 
the  children  in  and  around  Bethlehem  to  be  massacred?" 
The  teachers  and  the  scribes  could  not  say :  "  No ;  that 
is  not  true."  But  they  became  furious.  They  got  up 
from  their  seats,  and  the  head  teacher  came  down  also, 
and  all  cried  out:  "  How  can  you,  a  mere  little  boy,  under- 
take to  teach  us,  old  men?  Do  you,  perhaps,  claim  to  be 
the  Redeemer  ?  "     And  they  tried  to  surround  Jesus ;  but 


JESUS  FOUND  IN  THE  TEMPLE         117 

He  fell  back  (retreated),  and  they  came  nearer  and  nearer 
to  Him. 

Jesus  on  the  Chair  of  Moses.  But  Jesus  retreated  al- 
ways more  and  more  till  He  got  to  the  platform ;  He  then 
ascended  it,  and  took  the  head  teacher's  chair.  Now  He 
was  the  teacher.  And  there  stood  around  Him  the  very 
much  astonished  teachers  and  scribes  and  many  others  lis- 
tening to  Him  teaching  them. 

Mary  and  Joseph  find  Jesus.  Just  then  Mary  and  Joseph 
came  in  and  saw  with  astonishment  the  little  Jesus  in  the 
head  teacher's  seat  teaching.  As  soon  as  Jesus  saw  His 
parents,  He  rose  and  came  down  from  the  platform,  and 
went  to  them  very  respectfully.  Mary  began  to  weep  for 
grief  and  joy,  held  out  her  hands  towards  Him,  in  order 
to  embrace  Him.  And  how  did  she  speak  to  Him?  Very 
sweetly  and  lovingly.  She  did  not  scold  Jesus.  But 
Jesus  raised  His  little  right  hand  towards  heaven.  And 
what  did  He  answer  her?  He  meant  to  say:  "You  did 
not  need  to  be  anxious  about  Me.  You  know  where  I 
must  be."  When  saying  this,  His  face  became  bright,  and 
His  eyes  were  shining  like  two  stars.  All  present  kept 
still,  and  looked  at  Him  with  respect  and  astonishment. 
Then  our  Saviour  went  to  His  mother,  gave  her  one  of  His 
hands  and  the  other  to  St.  Joseph,  and  went  away  with 
them  walking  through  the  crowd. 

Jesus  in  Nazareth.  Where  did  Jesus  then  go  with  His 
parents  ?  And  how  did  He  behave  towards  them  ?  "  He 
was  subject  to  them,"  that  is,  obedient  to  them.  At  Naza- 
reth Jesus  grew  up  to  be  a  young  man,  and  then  to  be  a 
full  grown  man.  Hence  we  say :  "  He  grew  in  age." 
Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God ;  therefore  He  was  very  wise ; 
He  was  full  of  wisdom.  When  He  was  still  an  infant, 
people  could  not  remark  that  He  was  full  of  wisdom. 
What  is  it  a  little  child  cannot  do?  He  cannot  speak. 
But  as  Jesus  became  older,  He  gradually  let  people  see 
that  He  was  wise.     Where  did  He  especially  show   His 


n8  APOSTLES'  CREED 

wisdom  ?  In  the  temple.  Therefore  we  say :  "  Jesus  in- 
creased in  wisdom."  People  became  also  more  and  more 
fond  of  Him.  Why?  And  even  His  heavenly  Father 
looked  upon  Him  with  greater  pleasure.  Hence  we  say: 
"  Jesus  increased  in  grace  before  God  and  men."  In  what 
did  Jesus  Christ  increase  at  Nazareth?  How  long  did  He 
remain  there  with  His  parents?  He  was  then  already  a 
full  grown  man ;  and  continued  to  obey  His  parents. 

Explanation.  Why  did  Jesus  Christ  continue  to  obey 
even  after  He  had  become  a  man?  He  wished  to  show 
that  all  children,  even  when  they  are  grown  up,  should 
obey  their  parents.  But  He  was  still  more  obedient  to 
His  heavenly  Father  than  to  His  parents  on  earth.  The 
heavenly  Father  had  made  known  to  some  persons  that 
the  Redeemer  had  come.  To  whom?  To  Mary,  Joseph, 
the  shepherds,  Simeon,  Anna,  the  wise  men.  Whom  did 
He  send  to  tell  it  to  Mary?  To  Joseph?  To  the  shep- 
herds? How  did  the  wise  men,  Simeon  and  Anna  find  it 
out  ?  Now  twelve  years  had  passed  since  His  birth.  Jesus 
was  then  about  to  show  to  men  that  He  was  the  Redeemer 
and  the  Son  of  God.  Therefore  He  remained  in  Jeru- 
salem, when  His  parents  departed  for  Nazareth.  And 
therefore  also  He  asked  the  scribes,  whether  the  Redeemer 
had  already  come ;  whether  they  had  not  heard  of  the  Star, 
of  the  wise  men  that  were  seeking  the  newly  born  King 
of  the  Jews,  and  of  Herod's  slaughter  of  the  children  on 
account  of  the  newly  born  King.  The  scribes  knew  that 
Jesus  was  right.  Therefore  they  got  very  angry  at  Jesus. 
And  what  did  they  then  ask  Him?  "Dost  Thou  perhaps 
claim  to  be  the  Redeemer?"  What  did  He  answer  His 
Mother,  when  she  asked  Him :  "  Son,  why  didst  Thou 
remain  here  ?  "  Jesus  is  in  the  house  of  God,  and  is  there 
doing  the  will  of  His  Father.  He  therefore  calls  the  house 
of  God  the  house  of  His  Father.  Who,  then,  is  His 
Father?  if  His  Father  is  God,  who  is  Jesus?  He  is,  as 
He  said :     "  I  am  the  Son  of  God." 


JESUS  IN  THE  TEMPLE  119 

Summary.  What  did  Jesus  do  when  He  was  twelve 
years  old?  How  long  did  He  remain  in  the  temple  after 
His  parents  were  gone? 

Application.  How  glad  did  Jesus  feel  when  He  was 
permitted  to  go  into  the  temple  of  Jerusalem !  How  de- 
vout He  was  there !  He  then  thought  only  of  His  Father 
in  heaven.  He  paid  no  attention  to  the  people  coming  in 
and  going  out.  Do  you  behave  like  Jesus  in  the  house  of 
God?  At  home  you  may  eat,  drink,  talk,  laugh,  play,  look 
around  to  see  who  is  passing  by.  But  not  so  in  church; 
there  you  must  not  talk,  whisper,  laugh  or  look  around. 
The  church  is  a  holy  house.  Who  is  in  the  church?  God. 
And  in  the  tabernacle  He  dwells,  who,  when  a  boy,  be- 
haved so  well  in  the  temple.  He  looks  at  you,  and  sees 
all  you  do.  If  you  look  devoutly  towards  Him,  or  pray 
and  sing  well,  you  give  Him  pleasure.  He  will  love  you, 
and  when  you  pray  to  Him  for  some  favor,  He  will  give 
it  to  you.  But  He  sees  from  His  tabernacle  those  children 
who  misbehave,  talk,  laugh  and  disturb  others.  That  greatly 
displeases  Him.  Are  you  one  of  those  children?  How 
do  you  after  this  intend  to  behave  in  church?  Will  you 
not  try  to  be  like  Jesus? 

Also  in  school,  in  studying  and  paying  attention,  you 
should  be  like  the  Boy  Jesus.  He  did  not  need  instruction. 
He  was  the  Son  of  God.  And  yet  how  attentive  He  was 
in  the  temple !  You  do  not  yet  know  much  about  God ; 
you  must  first  learn  more.  But  how  much  pains  are 
needed  to  teach  you !  And  yet  some  of  you  do  not  pay 
attention,  do  not  properly  study  the  catechism.  And  I 
am  sometimes  obliged  to  admonish  and  even  punish  you. 
How  ashamed  should  such  children  feel  before  the  Child 
Jesus !  Endeavor  after  this  to  be  more  diligent  and  at- 
tentive in  school  and  in  church.  How  happy  would  I  be  if 
there  were  no  more  careless  and  inattentive  children  among 
you!  How  pleasing  would  you  all  then  be  to  our  dear 
Saviour !     Do  your  best  now,  all  of  you,  to  give  Him  great 


120  APOSTLES'  CREED 

pleasure.     You  will  please  God,  if  you  willingly  pray,  study 
and  obey. 

27.  The  Life  of  Jesus  at  Nazareth. 

Object.  To-day  I  will  tell  you  how  the  Holy  Family 
lived  at  Nazareth. 

Relation.  Where  did  the  Holy  Family  go  after  their 
return  from  Egypt?  They  owned  a  small  house  there. 
Near  by  was  the  workshop  of  St.  Joseph.  In  that  house 
the  Child  Jesus  grew  up.  Let  us  imagine  we  are  now  all 
in  that  little  house  to  see  what  the  Child  Jesus  does.  It 
is  now  morning  before  sunrise.  The  little  Saviour  is  still 
sleeping  and  resting  in  His  little  room.  How  nicely  He 
rests!  Like  an  angel  He  lies  in  bed  with  one  hand  under 
His  head,  and  the  other  over  His  breast.  Now  He  awakes ; 
He  looks  up  heavenward  to  His  Father  in  heaven,  and  most 
lovingly  says :  "  My  dear  God,  to  Thee  I  offer  up  My 
awakening."  He  arises  immediately  and  dresses  quickly, 
but  quietly,  so  as  not  to  disturb  any  one.  Then  He  kneels 
down  and  says  His  morning  prayer.  He  prays  long  and 
devoutly ;  He  could  pray  better  than  any  one  else.  He 
was  fond  of  reciting  the  Our  Father. 

After  Flis  morning  prayer,  Jesus  went  to  the  kitchen, 
prepared  and  arranged  all  that  His  Mother  would  need 
during  the  day.  He  probably  also  swept  that  little  room, 
for  everything  in  that  house  was  clean  and  neat.  Then 
He  greeted  His  dear  Mother  and  St.  Joseph  with  great 
respect.  This  He  did  daily  with  an  ever  fresh  love.  Then 
He  asked  them  what  they  wished  Him  to  do.  He  would 
bring  water  from  the  well  to  His  Mother,  prepare  the  wood 
for  the  kitchen;  He  would  go  on  errands  to  the  stores 
to  get  what  was  needed.  Then  He  would  go  with  St. 
Joseph  to  the  workshop.  He  wished  to  learn  the  carpenter 
trade  from  St.  Joseph.  And  St.  Joseph  would  show  Him 
how  to  work,  and  sometimes  would  hold  in  his  large  hand 


JESUS  AT  NAZARETH  121 

the  small  hand  of  Jesus  to  direct  it  in  the  work.     Je 
at  work  was  industrious  and  quiet :  and  He  worked  - 
stopping.     And  when  the  weath  3         - 
perspiration  poured  down  His   I    re    *ad,  He  die  stop, 

but  continued  to  work  till  H  -   be    :er  hand  !  grad- 

ually hard.     At  work   our    S  .    a  tine 

iing  around  and  talking,  and  He  would  irr 
do  everything  St.  Joseph  commanded  Him. 

;our  accompanied  St.  Joseph  back  to  the  house.     The 
Blessed  Virgin  had.  in  the  meanwhile,  prepared  the  din-  .  - 
S*    Jose        -  aid  grace,  and  Jesus  prayed  with  him 
Saviour  took  the  last  place  at  tar  .  i  waited  till   S: 

\  oh  served  Him.     He  \     5  satisfied  with  what  was  g 
Him.     All  that  His  Mother  had  prepared  was  to  H 
During  meals  the  Holy  Fam:      -    ie  to  one  ar   I    :  -  :n  a 
friendly   and   devout  manner.     E        a  they   prayed 

again.     And  after  awhile  St.  Joseph  and  the  S 
to  work  again.     Sometimes  would  come  with  her 

work  into  the  shop,  and  would  look  at  Jes    -    hM  of 
In  the  evening  our  Sarin  e  .  -  thing  in  its  pr:    r 

place  and  cleaned  the  «        -    ap,  and  then  ac; 
Joseph  to   the  house.     After  s        ar  1  sit  for 

some  time  on  the  bench  in  front  of  the  house.     Perl 
Jes  ts  then  read  aloud  some  passage  of  He      E  :re  and 

explained  it.     Then  they  all  said  night  prayers  together,  and 
afterwards  retired  to  r. 

On  Sunc  -ibbath)  the  Ho";  'y  did  •    \      :rlc 

Jesus  put  on  His  best  suit  of  clothes  and  went  with  His 
parents  to  the      fctk  -  :'j.  (the  -       gogtBe 

There  He  joined  the  congregation  in  reciting  r  sing- 

ing the  beautiful  psalms.     He  Ssis  \  the  ser- 

mon.     He  could  have  rr-.  - 

"    -  self  forward.     C      -  3  the  H 

sonei      a  went  out  km  :.  abort  or  to  visit  re 

neighbors  or  acquaintances.     Jesas 
the  sick,  and  to  speak  1  exhor:  them  to 


122  APOSTLES'  CREED 

suffer  patiently.  Thus  was  our  Saviour's  life  at  Nazareth 
holy  and  beautiful.     God  and  men  were  pleased  with  Him. 

Explanation  —  Pious.  About  whom  were  our  Sav- 
iour's first  thoughts  on  awaking  in  the  morning?  What 
did  He  say  the  very  moment  He  awoke?  But  He  was 
not  satisfied  with  this  short  prayer.  What  did  He  do 
after  dressing?  What  can  you  say  about  His  morning 
prayer?  At  what  other  times  did  He  pray?  Could  any 
one  pray  better,  more  devoutly  or  more  willingly  than  He? 
Jesus  knew  how  pleasing  prayer  is  to  His  heavenly  Father. 
He  loved  above  all  to  please  the  Father.  Do  you  also 
wish  to  please  our  heavenly  Father?  Do  as  our  Saviour 
did.  Of  whom  should  you  think  first  when  you  awake? 
What  should  you  say  to  him?  Do  you  say  your  morning 
prayer  after  you  are  dressed?  What  prayers  do  you  say 
during  the  day  ?  You  should  do  your  best  to  pray  devoutly 
like  our  dear  Saviour. 

Docile.  What  did  our  Saviour  do  after  His  morning 
prayer?  How  beautifully  He  acted!  He  could  have 
thought :  "lam  the  Son  of  God,  the  Lord  of  heaven  and 
earth ;  I  need  not  do  anything  for  others.  I  am  much 
greater  than  My  Mother,  than  My  foster-father."  But 
such  were  not  our  Saviour's  thoughts.  He  knew  that  Mary 
and  Joseph  represented  His  heavenly  Father  towards  Him, 
and  that  it  was  His  heavenly  Father's  will  that  He  should 
obey  them  as  He  would  obey  the  heavenly  Father  Himself. 
Our  little  Saviour  loved  obedience  above  everything  else. 
It  was  a  pleasure  for  Him  to  obey.  He  was  always  think- 
ing :  "  How  can  I  obey  My  parents,  for  I  wish  to  please 
My  Father  in  heaven." 

Industrious.  Where  did  our  little  Saviour  go  with  St. 
Joseph  after  breakfast?  You  have  already  seen  a  picture 
of  St.  Joseph  in  his  workshop.  He  is  sawing  a  beam. 
St.  Joseph  pulls  one  end  of  the  big  saw,  and  who  pulls 
the  other  end?  Or  you  see  our  Saviour  chopping  wood. 
Jesus  worked  constantly.     Even  when  only  a  little  child, 


JESUS  AT  NAZARETH  123 

He  tried  to  help  His  parents,  and  was  always  ready  and 
pleased  to  do  so.  The  larger  He  grew,  the  harder  He 
worked.     How  did  He  work  especially  in  hot  weather? 

Subject.  What  did  He  do  when  St.  Joseph  commanded 
Him  something?  He  did  it  immediately.  Whether  His 
parents  ordered  Him  to  perform  something  easy  or  diffi- 
cult, something  important  or  insignificant,  pleasant  or  dis- 
agreeable, or  whether  He  had  to  work  alone  or  near  Joseph 
and  Mary,  it  was  all  the  same  to  Jesus.  Nothing  was  too 
much  for  Him.  As  soon  as  something  was  commanded 
Him,  He  thought :  "  This  is  the  will  of  My  Father  in 
heaven ; "  and  then  He  did  it  cheerfully.  His  parents 
knew  that  they  could  not  please  Him  better  than  when 
they  commanded  Him  to  do  something.  Otherwise  they 
would  not  have  dared  to  command  Him  anything.  And 
why?  And  the  heavenly  Father  was  pleased  more  by  His 
Son's  silent  obedience,  than  by  anything  else  on  earth. 
God  the  Father  could  say  all  the  time  of  Jesus :  "  This 
is  My  well-beloved  Son;  I  am  well  pleased  with  Him." 
How  did  Jesus  conduct  Himself  towards  His  parents  in 
Nazareth?  Did  He  obey  only  in  important  things?  In 
what  things  was  He  obedient?  What  did  He  ask  His 
parents  every  morning?  How  He  could  help  them.  When 
He  knew  that  they  would  like  Him  to  do  something,  He 
did  it  of  Himself,  and  did  not  wait  to  be  told  to  do  it. 
He  was  the  Son  of  God,  and  yet  He  subjected  Himself 
to  His  earthly  parents.  He  knew  better  than  St.  Joseph 
how  to  work,  and  yet  He  let  St.  Joseph  teach  Him  how 
to  work.  He  could  have  taken  the  first  place  in  the  house ; 
but  which  place  did  He  take?  He  could  have  required 
His  parents  to  come  first  to  greet  Him  in  the  morning, 
but  what  did  He  do?  He  made  Himself  lower  than  His 
parents,  and  was  subject  to  them  in  all  things.  He,  the 
Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  made  Himself  subject  to  His 
creatures,  and  came  to  serve  them,  and  not  to  be  served  by 
them.     Oh,  how  different  it  is  in  the  world! 


124  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Application.  Why  did  the  Son  of  God  wish  to  be  sub- 
ject to  His  creatures?  Do  you  remember  how  Adam  and 
Eve  in  paradise  did  not  obey  God?  Just  on  account  of 
their  disobedience,  our  Saviour  wished  to  be  obedient.  He 
wished  to  teach  men  to  be  obedient,  and  how  beautiful 
obedience  is  in  the  sight  of  God.  Therefore  you  should 
not  seek  to  do  always  only  what  you  please.  You  should, 
before  all,  do  what  your  parents  command  you.  The  chil- 
dren who  do  all  that  their  parents  and  teachers  require, 
do  enough,  for  they  do  what  God  wills  of  them,  and  all 
they  do  is  good  and  holy  before  God.  Not  every  child 
can  be  rich,  smart  or  beautiful.  That  is  not  necessary  to 
please  God  or  to  go  to  heaven.  But  every  child  can  obey. 
Are  you  always  obedient  like  our  Saviour?  Do  you  at 
once  do  what  your  parents  command  you?  Do  you  obey 
also  when  they  order  you  to  do  something  you  do  not 
like?  Whether  you  like  it  or  not,  you  should  at  once  obey. 
Remember  how  the  Son  of  God  was  obedient  in  all  things. 

28.  Jesus  teaches,  works  miracles  and  chooses  His 

Apostles. 

Object.  To-day  I  will  relate  to  you  how  Jesus  taught 
the  people  and  cured  the  sick. 

Relation.  Where  did  Jesus  live  after  His  return  from 
Egypt?  How  long  did  He  remain  at  Nazareth  with  His 
parents?  He  left  Nazareth  when  He  was  thirty  years  old, 
and  went  from  place  to  place  through  the  whole  Jewish 
country.  Wherever  He  came,  He  went  first  to  the  little 
house  of  prayer.  When  the  people  had  come  there,  He 
would  begin  to  teach  and  to  preach.  This  He  did  espe- 
cially on  the  Sabbath.  He  would  tell  them  that  He  was 
the  Son  of  God,  the  promised  Redeemer.  He  taught  them 
all  that  is  necessary  to  bring  men  to  heaven.  He  spoke 
wonderfully  well,  but  so  simply  that  every  one  could  easily 


PUBLIC  MINISTRY  OF  JESUS  125 

understand  Him.  The  people,  therefore,  all  liked  to  hear 
Him.  When  they  learned  that  He  had  come  to  a  place, 
the  people  from  all  around  came  in  hundreds  and  thou- 
sands to  near  Him,  so  that  the  little  church  there  was  by 
far  too  small  to  contain  them.  Then  He  would  go  out- 
side, and  preach  in  the  open  air.  Sometimes  even  the 
towns  were  too  small  for  the  crowds  that  came;  then  He 
would  go  to  preach  in  large  fields,  in  places,  where  no  one 
lived ;  and  sometimes  even  on  a  mountain.  There  the  im- 
mense crowds  would  partly  stand  around  Him,  and  partly 
sit  on  the  ground.  Whilst  He  preached,  there  was  no 
noise,  no  disturbance,  no  want  of  attention,  no  looking 
around.  All  looked  at  Jesus  the  whole  time,  and  paid 
great  attention  to  every  word  He  said.  Jesus  would  be- 
gin to  speak  to  them  of  the  Kingdom  of  heaven  so  beau- 
tifully. His  voice  and  His  words  penetrated  into  the  in- 
most depth  of  their  hearts.  And  when  He  had  finished 
speaking,  the  people  would  say :  "  We  have  never  heard 
such  good  preaching.  That  is  Jesus,  the  teacher,  Jesus 
the  divine  Teacher." 

After  the  sermon  many  sick  persons  were  brought  to 
be  cured.  When  a  blind  man  was  brought,  Jesus  would 
merely  say :  "  Be  thou  seeing,"  and  the  blind  could  see 
after  that.  When  a  lame  man  was  brought  to  Him,  Jesus 
would  say :  "  Arise  and  walk ; "  and  the  lame  man  was 
able  to  walk.  Thus  with  a  word  or  two,  He  would  heal 
persons  of  every  kind  of  disease,  and  even  raise  dead  per- 
sons to  life.  At  the  funeral  of  a  young  man,  He  merely 
said :  "  Young  man,  I  say  to  thee :  Arise."  And  the  dead 
young  man  came  to  life  again.  To  a  dead  girl  Jesus  said : 
"Little  girl,  I  say  to  thee:  Arise."  And  the  dead  girl 
arose  full  of  life.  The  people  wondered  much  about  these 
miracles,  and  praised  Jesus,  saying:  'He  has  done  all 
things  well."  He  gave  sight  to  the  blind,  hearing  to  the 
deaf,  speech  to  the  dumb,  made  the  lame  walk,  and  raised 


126  APOSTLES'  CREED 

the  dead  to  life.  Many  believed  in  Him  and  followed  Him 
everywhere.  These  persons  were  called  the  disciples  of 
Jesus. 

Once  our  Saviour  had  prayed  all  night  on  a  mountain. 
In  the  morning  He  came  down  where  many  persons  were 
waiting  for  Him,  for  He  was  to  preach  again.  His  dis- 
ciples were  there  also.  Jesus  said  that  from  among  His 
many  disciples  He  was  going  to  choose  twelve ;  these  twelve 
should  always  be  with  Him  and  become  His  messengers, 
or  apostles.  The  sun  had  just  risen  and  had  lit  up  the 
whole  country  around  with  his  golden  rays.  The  Saviour 
stood  solemnly  before  the  people,  and  they  all  looked  at 
Him  with  wonder.  And  now  Jesus  called  out  the  names 
of  those  whom  He  had  chosen  for  His  apostles :  Peter, 
James,  John,  Andrew,  Thomas,  James,  Philip,  Bartholo- 
mew, Matthew,  Simon,  Thaddeus  and  Judas.  Each  of 
these  twelve  full  of  joy  and  love  came  forward  when 
Jesus  called  out  his  name.  They  all  knelt  before  Jesus. 
Jesus  blessing  them  laid  His  hand  on  the  head  of  each, 
and  ordained  them  as  His  apostles.  Then  He  made  them 
sit  alongside  of  Him.  And  from  that  time  the  twelve 
apostles  were  always  with  Him  and  accompanied  Him 
everywhere.  They  were  later  on  to  preach  to  the  whole 
world  what  they  had  heard  Him  preach. 

Explanation  —  Jesus  teaches.  How  old  was  Jesus  be- 
fore He  left  His  parents?  Where  did  He  go?  All  over 
the  land  of  the  Jews.  What  did  Jesus  do  wherever  He 
went?  Where  have  we  preaching  in  this  place?  In 
church.  Where  did  Jesus  sometimes  preach?  Where  else 
did  He  also  preach?  Why  did  Jesus  go  out  of  the  church 
to  preach  outside  or  in  the  fields?  WThy  did  the  people 
like  to  hear  our  Saviour  preach?  What  did  He  preach 
about  Himself?  What  else  did  He  preach  about?  Who 
went  and  who  were  allowed  to  hear  Him  preach?  Be- 
cause He  preached  to  all  who  came  to  hear  Him,  we  say: 
"  Jesus  preached  in  public."     When  did  He  begin  to  preach  ? 


PUBLIC  MINISTRY  OF  JESUS  127 

Jesus  performs  miracles.  Why  were  sick  persons 
brought  to  Him  after  His  preaching?  Who  is  now  called 
to  see  the  sick?  What  does  the  doctor  do  for  the  sick? 
What  must  the  sick  person  then  do  to  get  well?  Often 
the  medicine  does  no  good,  or  takes  a  long  time  to  cure. 
But  what  happened  to  the  sick  who  were  brought  to  Jesus  ? 
To  the  blind,  the  deaf-mutes,  the  lame?  How  did  Jesus 
cure  them  ?  He  cured  them  at  once,  without  medicine, 
and  only  by  saying  to  the  blind :  "  Be  thou  seeing ;  "  to 
the  lame :  "  Arise  and  walk."  What  would  happen,  if 
doctors  would  try  to  cure  the  sick,  etc.,  in  that  way?  The 
blind  would  remain  blind,  etc.  It  would  be  a  miracle  if 
doctors  would  cure  the  sick  as  Jesus  did.  The  cures  Jesus 
wrought  were  miracles.  But  Jesus  performed  still  greater 
miracles  than  these,  for  He  raised  to  life  a  dead  young 
man,  a  dead  girl  twelve  years  of  age,  merely  by  telling 
them  to  arise.  God  alone  can  raise  a  dead  person  alive 
again.  Why  could  Jesus  do  it?  Because  He  was  God. 
Mention  some  of  the  miracles  Jesus  performed?  When 
did  Jesus  begin  to  perform  miracles?  When  He  was 
thirty  years  old.  Because  of  these  miracles  the  people 
believed  in  Jesus  Christ ;  they  believed  that  He  could  do 
all  He  wished,  and  that  He  spoke  the  truth,  when  He 
preached  to  them.  What  did  Jesus  teach  about  Himself? 
That  He  was  the  Son  of  God  and  the  promised  Saviour. 
What  do  you  call  those  who  believed  in  Jesus?  His  dis- 
ciples. He  had  many  disciples  on  account  of  His  miracles. 
But  the  high  priest  and  the  scribes  were  greatly  displeased 
at  this.  They  envied  Him  and  would  not  believe  in  Him; 
they  were  too  proud. 

Choice  of  the  twelve  apostles.  How  many  of  His  dis- 
ciples did  Jesus  make  apostles?  Where  were  they  to  be 
always?  Near  Jesus  to  hear  Him  preach,  to  witness  His 
virtues  and  His  miracles.  What  were  they  to  do  later 
on?  Teach.  Teach  what?  What  Jesus  had  taught,  that 
is,  His  doctrine.     Where  were  they  to  teach  His  doctrine? 


128  APOSTLES'  CREED 

All  over  the  world.  How  did  Jesus  call  these  twelve  dis- 
ciples on  account  of  this?  Apostles  (messengers).  Men- 
tion some  of  the  apostles. 

Summary.  What  did  Jesus  do  when  He  was  thirty 
years  old?  Whom  did  He  choose  to  preach  His  doctrine 
all  over  the  world? 

Application.  The  teaching  of  Jesus  came  from  heaven. 
It  is  called  the  Gospel.  The  apostles  preached  the  Gospel 
all  over  the  world.  It  is  now  also  preached  all  over  the 
world.  Much  of  it  is  written  in  the  Holy  Bible.  The 
priest  reads  a  portion  of  it  on  Sundays  from  the  pulpit. 
You  ought  to  pay  close  attention  to  it.  You  will  often 
hear  the  priest  read :  "  At  that  time  Jesus  said  to  His 
disciples,"  that  is,  to  the  people.  Before  the  priest  begins 
to  read,  the  people  stand  up  and  make  the  sign  of  the 
cross.  You  must  do  likewise.  What  should  you  do,  when 
the  priest  is  about  to  read  the  Gospel?  When  the  priest 
reads  the  name  of  Jesus  in  the  Gospel,  you  should  bow 
your  head  a  little.  Why?  And  why  does  the  priest  kiss 
the  book  after  reading  the  Gospel?  Because  the  words  of 
the  Gospel  are  holy.  You  can  always  tell  when  the  priest 
reads  the  Gospel  during  Mass,  for  the  Mass-book  (Missal) 
is  carried  by  the  altar  boy  to  the  left  side  of  the  altar, 
and  all  the  people  stand  up  when  the  priest  reads  or  sings 
the  Gospel.  In  beginning  the  Gospel  the  priest  makes  with 
his  right  thumb  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  the  Missal,  then 
on  his  forehead,  lips  and  breast.  You  should  do  the  same. 
When  the  priest  has  read  the  Gospel,  he  kisses  the  Missal 
in  the  place  where  the  Gospel  is. 

How  happy  you  are  to  hear  the  beautiful  and  holy  teach- 
ing of  Jesus  Christ !  Listen  to  it  in  the  sermon  and  the 
Catechism  class  with  great  attention ;  and  then  do  what 
Jesus  and  the  priest  teach  you.  That  is  the  sure  way  to 
heaven. 


THE  RAISING  OF  LAZARUS  129 

29.  Jesus  raises  Lazarus  from  the  dead. 

Object.  I  will  tell  you  to-day  how  Jesus  made  a  dead 
man,  called  Lazarus,  alive  again. 

Relation,  i.  Lazarus  lived  at  Bethania  near  Jerusalem 
with  his  sisters  Martha  and  Mary.  Lazarus  took  suddenly 
sick.  His  sisters  sent  a  message  to  Jesus,  saying:  "  Lord, 
he  whom  Thou  lovest,  is  sick."  But  Jesus  stayed  two 
days  more  where  He  was.  On  the  third  day,  He  said  to 
His  apostles :  "  Lazarus  is  dead ;  I  will  now  go  to  awake 
him."  When  Jesus  came  to  Bethania,  Lazarus  was  already 
four  days  in  the  grave.  Martha  went  to  meet  Jesus,  and 
said  to  Him :  "  Lord,  if  Thou  hadst  been  here,  Lazarus 
would  not  have  died."  Jesus  said  to  her:  "  Your  brother 
will  rise  again."  "  Yes,"  said  Martha,  "  I  know  that  he 
will  rise  again  at  the  general  resurrection  at  the  last  day." 
But  Jesus  said  to  her :  "  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the 
life.  He  who  believes  in  Me  shall  live,  even  if  he  be  dead. 
And  every  one  who  believes  in  Me,  shall  not  die  forever. 
Dost  thou  believe  this  ?  "  Martha  answered  :  "  Yes,  Lord, 
I  believe  that  Thou  art  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God, 
that  came  into  this  world." 

2.  Then  Martha  went  to  call  her  sister  Mary,  and  said 
to  her :  "  The  Master  is  there  and  calls  thee."  Mary  at 
once  hastened  to  where  Jesus  was.  She  knelt  at  His  feet, 
saying:  "Lord,  if  Thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother 
would  not  have  died."  Mary  wept ;  and  the  Jews  who  had 
followed  her,  wept  also.  Then  Jesus  grieved  and  said: 
"Where  have  you  laid  him?"  They  said:  "Come  and 
see."  And  Jesus  wept.  The  Jews  said :  "  See  how  He 
loved  him."  The  grave  was  a  large  hole  (or  chamber) 
cut  into  a  rock;  the  opening  was  covered  with  a  large, 
heavy  stone.  When  they  came  to  the  grave,  Jesus  said : 
"  Remove  the  stone."  But  Martha  said :  "  Lord,  the 
stench  is  great,  for  he  is  buried  already  four  days."  But 
Jesus   said  to  her:     "Did   I  not  tell   thee,   that,   if   thou 


130  APOSTLES'  CREED 

didst  believe,  thou  wouldst  see  the  glory  of  God  ? "  So 
they  removed  the  large  stone.  Jesus  then  raised  His  eyes 
towards  heaven,  and  prayed  to  His  heavenly  Father.  Then 
with  a  loud  voice  He  said :  "  Lazarus,  come  forth."  And 
Lazarus  came  out  at  once,  but  with  difficulty,  for  his  hands 
and  feet  were  tied  up  with  bandages.  Therefore  Jesus 
said :     "  Untie  the  bandages,  so  that  he  may  walk." 

3.  Many  of  the  Jews  present  at  this  extraordinary  mir- 
acle, believed  in  Jesus.  Others  went  to  the  Jewish  priests 
and  told  them  what  Jesus  had  done.  And  the  chief  priests 
said :  "  What  shall  we  do  ?  This  man  works  many  mir- 
acles." They  resolved  to  put  Jesus  to  death,  in  order  to 
get  Him  out  of  the  way.  But  Jesus  went  far  away  into  a 
retired  place. 

Explanation  —  The  sickness  of  Lazarus.  How  was 
the  dead  man  called,  whom  Jesus  made  alive  again?  How 
were  his  sisters  called?  Where  did  they  all  live?  Where 
was  Bethania  situated?  Lazarus,  Martha  and  Mary  be- 
lieved in  Jesus,  and  were  much  attached  to  Him.  There- 
fore Jesus  also  loved  them.  He  often  came  to  their  house. 
What  suddenly  happened  to  Lazarus?  His  sisters  sent  for 
a  doctor.  But  Lazarus  grew  worse,  and  his  sisters  feared 
he  would  die.  Who  could  have  surely  cured  Lazarus? 
His  sisters  knew  it ;  but  Jesus  was  far  away. 

The  Saviour  does  not  come  immediately.  How  did 
Jesus  know  that  Lazarus  was  sick?  What  message  did 
they  send  to  Jesus?  They  could  also  have  asked  Him  to 
come  and  cure  Lazarus.  But  they  did  not  do  so ;  they 
knew  how  much  Jesus  loved  their  brother.  They  thought 
that  Jesus  would  come  of  His  own  accord,  if  He  believed 
it  necessary.  But  our  Saviour  did  not  come  immediately. 
How  long  did  He  still  remain  where  He  was?  In  the 
meantime  Lazarus  got  worse,  and  the  sisters  said  to  each 
other :  "  Oh,  if  our  Saviour  were  here,  Lazarus  would 
not  die." 

Lazarus  dies.     But  Lazarus  died.     And  our  Saviour  had 


THE  RAISING  OF  LAZARUS 


131 


not  arrived.  The  sisters  wept  very  much.  Lazarus  was 
buried,  and  Jesus  had  not  yet  come.  But  even  now  the 
sisters  hoped  that  our  Saviour  would  yet  come  and  help 
them.  Jesus  knew  well  that  Lazarus  was  dead.  How  did 
He  know  it?  What  did  He  say  to  His  apostles  on  the 
third  day?  Where  was  Lazarus  when  Jesus  arrived? 
How  long  had  he  been  buried? 

Jesus  and  Martha.  What  did  Martha  do,  when  she 
heard  that  Jesus  had  arrived?  Martha  knelt  at  His  feet 
and  wept  very  much.  What  did  she  say  to  our  Saviour? 
She  meant  to  say :  "  O  Lord,  Thou  didst  love  my  brother 
so  much,  that,  if  Thou  hadst  been  here,  Thou  wouldst 
have  cured  him."  What  did  Jesus  answer?  Jesus  meant: 
"  I  will  make  your  brother  alive  again.  He  shall  rise  alive 
from  the  grave."  What  did  Martha  reply?  Martha  did 
not  rightly  understand  what  Jesus  had  said.  She  thought 
only  of  the  resurrection  of  all  men  at  the  end  of  the  world, 
when  Lazarus  would  rise  also.  Therefore  Jesus  said  to 
Martha :  "  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  life,"  etc.  What 
was  Martha's  reply? 

Jesus  and  Mary  Magdalen.  Whom  did  Martha  call? 
What  did  she  say  to  her?  What  did  Martha  call  Jesus? 
The  apostles  often  called  Him  Master.  Master  means 
Lord.  What  did  Mary  then  do?  Who  followed  her? 
What  did  Mary  do,  when  she  came  to  Jesus?  And  what 
did  she  say?  How  could  people  know  that  she  grieved 
very  much  over  her  brother's  death?  And  Mary  wept 
again ;  and  all  the  friends  and  relatives  of  the  two  sisters 
wept  also  when  they  saw  them  weep.  All  wept  for  grief 
and  looked  imploringly  to  Jesus,  for  they  knew  that  He 
alone  could  help  them.  What  did  Jesus  then  feel  in  His 
heart?  He  had  compassion  on  the  two  sisters.  How  did 
He  show  it?  He  also  wept.  It  was  very  touching  to  see 
Jesus  weep.  What  did  the  Jews  say,  when  they  saw  Him 
weeping  ? 

On  the  zvay  to  the  grave.     What  did  Jesus  ask  the  sisters 


132 


APOSTLES'  CREED 


about  Lazarus?  What  did  they  answer?  Where  did  they 
all  go?  The  Jews  did  not  dig  their  graves  deep  in  the 
ground ;  but  they  cut  out  holes  in  the  rock ;  and  after 
wrapping  up  the  corpse  in  a  sheet,  and  tying  bandages 
around  it,  they  laid  it  in  the  grave  in  the  rock  and  covered 
the  opening  with  a  great  stone.  What  do  you  know  about 
the  grave  of  Lazarus? 

The  resurrection  of  Lazarus.  What  did  Jesus  command, 
when  they  reached  the  grave?  When  a  person  is  dead, 
after  two  or  three  days  his  body  begins  to  corrupt  (get 
rotten)  and  to  send  forth  a  great  stench;  and  nobody 
cares  to  look  at  it  any  more,  or  to  stay  near  it.  But 
Lazarus  was  already  four  days  buried.  What  did  his  sis- 
ters say  about  this  to  Jesus,  when  He  ordered  the  stone 
that  closed  the  grave  to  be  removed?  What  did  Jesus 
reply?  Did  they  remove  the  stone?  All  were  standing 
around  the  grave,  wondering  very  much  about  what  was 
going  to  happen.  What  did  Jesus  do  first?  What  did 
Jesus  then  say  with  a  loud  voice  into  the  grave?  What 
took  place  after  He  had  said  that?  How  they  all  got 
greatly  frightened  when  Lazarus  came  out  of  the  grave! 
How  did  he  look?  Some  people  screamed,  others  fell  on 
their  knees  before  Jesus  and  adored  Him.  What  order 
did  Jesus  give  about  Lazarus?  The  apostles  untied  the 
bandages  around  his  hands  and  feet.  Lazarus  then  knelt 
before  Jesus,  adored  and  thanked  Him.  Jesus  blessed  him, 
took  him  by  the  hand  and  led  him  to  his  sisters.  They 
were  overjoyed  and  embraced  him.  And  they  also  knelt 
before  Jesus,  adored  and  thanked  Him.  Many  of  the 
Jews  present  believed  in  Jesus  Christ.  Others  got  angry 
and  still  more  envious  of  Jesus  Christ.  To  whom  did  they 
relate  what  Jesus  had  done?  What  did  the  chief  priests 
say?  What  did  they  intend  to  do?  Where  did  Jesus  go 
after  this? 

Interpretation  —  The  Saviour  is  almighty  and  knows 
all  things.     Have  you  ever  heard  that  a  dead  man  in  this 


THE  RAISING  OF  LAZARUS  133 

town  ever  became  alive  again?  Such  an  event  would  be 
a  great  miracle.  You  have  already  heard  that  people 
deathly  sick  got  well  again.  What  did  the  sisters  of  Laz- 
arus wish  Jesus  to  do  to  their  brother  who  was  deathly 
sick?  What  message  did  they  send  to  Jesus?  Our  Sav- 
iour knew  beforehand  that  Lazarus  was  dangerously  ill. 
He  knew  also  that  Lazarus  would  die.  Why  did  He  know 
all  this?  I  have  already  seen  the  picture  of  a  certain  man ; 
when  you  stand  in  front  of  it,  he  is  looking  at  you ;  when 
you  stand  on  the  right,  he  is  also  looking  at  you ;  and  he 
still  looks  at  you  when  you  stand  on  the  left.  No  matter 
which  way  you  turn,  he  is  looking  at  you.  So  does  our 
Saviour  look  at  us  wherever  we  are.  No  mother  watches 
so  carefully  at  the  bedside  of  her  sick  child,  as  our  Sav- 
iour watches  over  us.  He  watched  over  Lazarus  also. 
Nevertheless  He  did  not  go  directly  to  Lazarus.  He  would 
let  him  die,  for  He  wished  to  do  more  for  him  than  to 
cure  him.  He  wished  to  raise  him  from  the  dead.  He 
can  still  help  us,  when  no  one  else  can.  For  what  is  He? 
Almighty.  How  did  He  show  it  with  the  dead  Lazarus? 
What  do  you  call  making  a  dead  person  alive  again? 
Jesus  had  previously  raised  to  life  a  dead  girl  and  a  dead 
young  man.  Those  were  great  miracles.  But  the  corpse 
of  Lazarus  was  already  corrupting,  and  the  stench  was 
insupportable.  How  long  had  he  already  been  buried? 
And  yet  with  a  word  Jesus  made  him  alive  again.  How 
great  was  this  miracle!  What  did  Jesus  intend  to  show 
by  it?     And  many  on  account  of  it  believed  in  Him. 

Application.  Lazarus  is  a  proof  that  our  Saviour  does 
not  always  help  immediately.  After  receiving  the  news 
of  the  illness  of  Lazarus,  He  remained  where  He  was  two 
days  longer.  The  sisters  of  Lazarus  thought  He  would 
come  immediately  to  cure  him.  Jesus  did  not  come,  and 
Lazarus  died.  The  sisters  still  believed  that  Jesus  would 
yet  help.  And  Jesus  did  help.  He  did  much  more  for 
them   than   they   expected.     What   did    He   do   for   them? 


134  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Our  divine  Saviour  has  now  as  good  a  heart  as  He  had 
then.  He  helps  us  also  as  willingly,  as  He  helped  Lazarus 
and  his  sisters.  And  He  is  always  very  near  us.  Where 
does  He  dwell?  In  the  tabernacle  in  the  church.  What 
must  we  do  to  obtain  His  help?  Ask  Him;  pray  to  Him. 
But  He  does  not  always  help  immediately.  Sometimes  He 
makes  us  wait  long  for  His  help.  You  should  not  then 
think :  "  My  prayers  are  not  good."  But  you  must  con- 
tinue to  pray  and  hope  for  help,  and  He  will  surely  help 
you.  And  then  the  same  will  happen  to  you  as  happened 
to  the  sisters  of  Lazarus.  He  may  give  you  much  more 
than  you  ask  for  and  expect. 

30.  Jesus  sweats  blood  in  the  Garden  of  Olives. 

Preparation.  What  were  the  feelings  of  the  chief 
priests  towards  Jesus  Christ,  because  many  people  believed 
in  Him?  The  greater  the  number  of  those  who  believed 
in  Him,  the  more  also  the  envy  of  the  chief  priests  in- 
creased. When  Jesus  had  raised  Lazarus  to  life,  the  chief 
priests  became  still  more  angry  with  Him.  They  began  to 
fear  that,  in  the  end,  everybody  would  follow  Him  and 
believe  in  Him,  and  no  one  would  any  longer  care  for 
them.  What  did  they  intend  to  do  to  Him?  But  they 
were  afraid  to  arrest  Him  publicly,  in  the  daytime,  lest 
the  people  would  say :  "  We  will  not  let  you  do  Him  any 
harm."  Therefore  they  intended  to  arrest  Him  in  the 
night.  But  they  did  not  know  where  He  stayed  at  night. 
Who  were  always  with  Jesus?  Who  knew  where  Jesus 
was  at  night?  How  many  apostles  were  there?  You  will 
say :  "  Surely  none  of  the  apostles  would  tell  the  chief 
priests  where  Jesus  was  at  night."  And  yet  one  of  them 
did  tell.  His  name  was  Judas.  Formerly  Judas  was  good 
and  pious.  But  of  late  he  no  longer  cared  to  pray.  He 
became  covetous,  that  is,  he  wished  to  make  plenty  of 
money.     And  in  order  to  get  money,  he  became  a  thief. 


JESUS  IN  THE  GARDEN  OF  OLIVES      135 

Then  the  devil  whispered  to  him :  "  If  you  go  to  the  chief 
priests,  and  tell  them  where  they  can  easily  arrest  Jesus, 
you  will  earn  plenty  of  money."  At  first,  Judas  did  not 
listen  to  the  devil ;  but  he  began  to  think  of  the  amount 
of  money  he  could  make  by  telling  the  chief  priests  where 
they  could  easily  arrest  Jesus.  At  last  he  went  to  the  chief 
priests  and  said :  "  What  will  you  give  me,  if  I  tell  you 
where  Jesus  stays  at  night?"  They  promised  him  thirty 
pieces  of  silver.  Judas  was  satisfied  with  that  sum.  But 
Jesus  knew  very  well  what  the  chief  priests  intended  to 
do  to  Him,  and  that  Judas  was  going  to  betray  Him.  But 
He  did  not  leave  Jerusalem.  For  why  had  He  come  on 
earth?  How  did  He  wish  to  redeem  us?  To  die  for  us. 
When  did  He  first  promise  to  do  so  ?  And  God  the  Father 
accepted  His  offer.  Now  the  time  had  come,  when  Jesus 
was  really  to  die  for  us.  But  before  dying,  He  wished 
to  suffer  very  much  for  us. 

Object.  I  will  now  relate  to  you  how  Jesus  began  His 
bitter  passion  for  us. 

Relation.  On  the  night  before  His  death  Jesus  went 
with  His  apostles  to  the  Mount  of  Olives.  There  was  a 
garden  there  called  Gethsemani.  Jesus  entered  the  garden. 
At  the  entrance  He  said  to  His  apostles :  "  Sit  down  here, 
whilst  I  go  there  to  pray."  Now  He  took  Peter,  James 
and  John  with  Him  into  the  garden.  He  began  to  be  sad 
and  to  tremble.  He  told  the  three  apostles :  "  My  soul 
is  sad  even  unto  death ;  stay  here,  and  watch  and  pray 
with  Me."  Jesus  went  a  little  distance  away  from  them, 
and  fell  with  His  face  on  the  ground  and  prayed  saying: 
"  Father,  if  it  is  possible,  take  this  chalice  from  Me.  But 
not  My  will,  but  Thine  be  done."  In  this  manner  Jesus 
prayed  three  different  times.  Then  an  angel  from  heaven 
came  to  strengthen  Him,  that  He  might  not  die  then  of 
sadness  and  sorrow.  But  He  fell  on  the  ground  in  an 
agony  (as  if  He  was  dying),  and  a  deathly  sweat  came 
upon   Him   like   drops  of  blood,   trickling  to  the  ground. 


136  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Jesus  prayed  then  only  the  longer  and  the  more  earnestly. 
After  this  He  arose  from  His  prayer,  and  said  to  His 
apostles:  "Arise,  and  let  us  go;  see,  My  betrayer  is  ap- 
proaching." 

Explanation  —  Jesus  enters  the  Garden  of  Gethsemani. 
What  is  the  name  of  the  garden  Jesus  went  to  before  His 
death?  Who  were  with  Jesus?  How  many  apostles  were 
with  Him?  Judas  was  not  among  them.  Where  was  he 
probably  at  that  time?  Where  was  the  Garden  of  Geth- 
semani?  The  garden  was  near  Jerusalem.  Red  flowers 
and  rosemary  grew  in  it,  and  also  plenty  of  olive  trees. 
Oil  is  made  from  olives.  It  was  a  quiet,  pleasant  place. 
Jesus  often  went  there  at  night  to  pray.  The  apostles  also 
knew  the  place  very  well.  Jesus  entered  it  with  them; 
but  He  wished  to  be  alone.  What  did  He  intend  to  do? 
To  pray.  What  did  He  say  to  the  apostles  at  the  entrance 
of  the  garden?  Did  they  do  so?  Which  three  apostles 
did  He  take  with  Him  further  into  the  garden?  Now 
Jesus  began  to  feel  very,  very  sad.  What  did  He  say  to 
His  three  apostles?  What  did  He  tell  them  to  do? 
'  Watch  ye  and  pray."  He  did  not  wish  that  they  should 
leave  Him  alone,  or  fall  asleep.  But  our  Saviour  did  not 
remain  near  them,  but  went  a  short  distance  from  them. 
What  did  He  then  do? 

Jesus  prays  the  first  time.  Around  Jesus  is  the  dark- 
ness of  the  night.  What  do  you  do  at  night?  Perhaps 
you  have  already  had  a  terrible  dream,  that  you  saw  some 
wild  beast  about  to  spring  upon  you  and  tear  and  eat 
you  up.  You  were  very  much  afraid  and  perhaps  screamed 
in  your  dream.  Just  as  you  saw  in  your  dream  frightful 
things,  so  our  Lord  saw  something  really  dreadful  before 
Him.  He  saw  how  His  enemies  were  coming  to  arrest 
Him;  how  they  would  beat  Him  till  He  would  bleed  so 
that  His  blood  would  flow  and  cover  the  ground;  how 
they  would  make  Him  carry  a  heavy  cross  and  then  nail 
Him  to  it.     These  frightful  sights  surrounded  our  Saviour 


JESUS  IN  THE  GARDEN  OF  OLIVES      137 

and  rushed  upon  Him,  as  the  wild  beast  in  the  dream  was 
rushing  upon  the  child.  At  last  all  these  terrible  things 
seemed  to  Jesus  to  be  in  a  chalice,  which  the  heavenly 
Father  gave  Him,  to  drink  everything  in  it.  Where  have 
you  seen  a  chalice?  Who  drinks  out  of  it?  Now  sup- 
pose a  chalice  was  full  of  poison,  and  that  you  were  com- 
pelled to  drink  out  of  it !  Would  you  not  get  much  afraid 
and  do  your  best  to  keep  from  drinking  out  of  it?  Why? 
Because  drinking  out  of  it  would  cause  death.  But  the 
frightful  things  in  the  chalice  our  Saviour  saw,  were  worse 
than  poison.  How  did  Jesus  feel  about  them?  He  trem- 
bled, and  felt  as  if  He  could  not  drink  all  that  was  in  the 
chalice.  What  did  He  do  in  His  fear  and  anguish?  He 
fell  with  His  face  to  the  ground;  that  is,  He  knelt  down 
and  bowed  so  low  that  His  face  almost  touched  the  ground. 
He  stretched  out  His  hands,  as  if  He  was  seeking  help, 
and  He  prayed.  How  did  He  pray?  WThat  did  He  ask 
of  His  heavenly  Father?  He  meant  to  say:  "Father,  if 
it  is  possible  do  not  make  Me  suffer  all  that.  But  if  Thou 
wiliest  that  I  should  suffer  it  all,  I  will  obey  Thee.  Not 
My  will,  but  Thine  be  done." 

Then  Jesus  rose  and  went  to  His  three  apostles.  He 
could  hardly  walk,  for  He  was  so  weak  and  faint.  His 
whole  body  trembled,  and  His  face  was  deathly  pale,  when 
He  came  to  His  apostles.  W'hat  had  Jesus  told  them,  be- 
fore He  went  to  pray?  "Watch  and  pray."  But  the 
apostles  slept,  because  they  felt  tired.  Jesus  awoke  them. 
The  apostles  were  frightened  when  they  saw  Jesus  so  pale 
and  trembling.  But  Jesus  said  to  them :  "  You  are 
asleep !  Could  you  not  watch  one  hour  with  Me  ?  Watch 
and  pray." 

Jesus  prays  the  second  time.  Our  Saviour  returned  to 
His  place  to  pray,  and  again  fell  on  His  face.  Now  He 
saw  more  frightful  things.  He  saw  all  the  sins  Adam  and 
all  men  had  already  committed,  and  also  all  the  sins  men 
would  commit  until  the  end  of  the  world.     Oh,  how  many 


138  APOSTLES'  CREED 

sins  our  Saviour  saw  then !  For  instance :  your  disobe- 
dience to  your  parents  and  teachers;  your  neglect  of 
prayer,  your  misbehavior  in  church;  your  lying,  etc.,  etc. 
Jesus  then  saw  all,  all.  It  was  to  Him,  as  if  a  thousand 
rivers  of  filth  flowed  to  Him,  and  that  He  should  drink  all 
that  out  of  the  chalice !  He  felt  such  a  terrible  repug- 
nance to  do  this,  that  He  was  filled  with  sadness.  There- 
fore He  prayed  a  second  time,  as  He  did  the  first  time. 
After  His  prayer  Jesus  rose  and  went  again  to  His  apos- 
tles and  found  them  asleep.  He  awakened  them.  But 
when  the  apostles  saw  by  the  moonlight  Jesus  so  pale 
and  trembling,  they  thought  He  would  fall  down.  They 
therefore  held  Him  up  under  the  arms  to  keep  Him  from 
falling.  They  were  so  frightened  that  they  did  not  know 
what  to  say.  But  our  Lord  said  to  them :  "  Do  not  fall 
asleep  again.  Oh,  watch  and  pray  with  Me."  Jesus  then 
returned  to  His  place. 

Jesus  prays  the  third  time.  He  again  prostrated  Himself 
to  the  ground,  and  now  saw  the  most  frightful  things.  He 
saw  so  many  millions  of  men  who  do  not  believe  in  Him. 
They  will  not  obey  Him,  and  do  not  even  will  to  be  re- 
deemed by  Him.  They  prefer  to  follow  the  devil,  to  be 
seduced  by  him  and  to  be  cast  into  hell.  And  even  for 
them  Jesus  must  die!  Jesus  sees  them  all  passing  in  long 
rows  before  Him  and  the  devil  in  their  midst.  The  sight 
greatly  grieved  our  Saviour.  He  loved  them  so  much  and 
would  so  willingly  die  to  save  them  all.  But  they  do  not 
want  to  be  saved  by  Him !  That  pained  Jesus  most  of  all, 
and  made  His  chalice  more  bitter  than  all  else.  Jesus 
prayed  now  the  third  time  as  before  to  His  heavenly  Fa- 
ther. 

The  agony  of  Jesus.  Now  His  anguish  became  terrible, 
so  much  so  that  He  felt  as  if  He  would  drop  dead.  What 
do  we  call  the  anguish  He  felt  then?  His  agony.  In  His 
agony  He  fell  to  the  ground  as  a  person  dying. 

Jesus  szveats  blood.     A  man,  when  about  to  die,   falls 


JESUS  IN  THE  GARDEN  OF  OLIVES      139 

into  a  cold  sweat;  His  forehead  is  all  covered  with  it. 
The  anguish  of  Jesus  was  so  great,  that  His  whole  body 
was  covered  with  sweat;  but  it  was  not  drops  of  water 
that  oozed  out  of  his  pores,  but  drops  of  blood !  It  was 
a  heavy  sweat  of  blood  that  covered  His  body  and  trickled 
down  His  face,  filled  His  eyes  and  fell  to  the  ground.  In 
His  extreme  anguish  He  did  not  stop  praying.  In  that 
prayer  He  wept  and  called  aloud  to  His  Heavenly  Father 
for  help. 

The  Father  does  not  take  away  the  chalice.  Whom  did 
His  heavenly  Father  send  to  Him?  The  angel  held  a 
little  chalice,  and  offered  it  to  Jesus,  as  if  he  would  say: 
"  The  Father  will  not  take  the  chalice  away  from  Thee. 
Thou  must  suffer  and  die  for  men."  And  Jesus  accepted 
the  chalice,  because  He  was  going  to  do  the  will  of  His 
Heavenly  Father. 

Jesus  is  comforted.  But  the  angel  brought  to  Jesus 
consolation  from  His  heavenly  Father.  He  showed  Him 
all  the  men  who  would  go  to  heaven  through  His  passion 
and  death.  Our  Saviour  sees  Adam  and  Eve,  Simeon 
and  Anna,  the  three  wise  men,  the  Holy  Innocents,  and  an 
immense  number  of  persons  who  would  enter  heaven 
with  Him.  The  apostles,  His  disciples,  the  martyrs,  the 
virgins,  the  Popes,  bishops,  priests,  religious,  pious  men 
and  women,  Jesus  sees  them  all  passing  before  Him  wear- 
ing crowns,  clothed  in  costly  garments.  It  was  a  wonder- 
ful and  touching  sight.  They  were  around  His  Sacred 
Heart  as  a  wonderful  flower  wreath,  thanking  their  Saviour 
for  having  suffered  and  died  for  them,  that  they  might 
enter  heaven.  Oh,  how  that  sight  consoled  our  Saviour ! 
It  renewed  His  courage.  He  felt  so  strong,  that  He  would 
have  suffered  every  torment  and  died  even  to  save  only 
one  soul !  And  now  He  sees  the  numberless  souls  His 
sufferings  and  death  will  save  and  bring  to  heaven.  He 
remained  yet  a  little  while  in  prayer,  and  then  went  to 
His  apostles ;  He  was  still  pale,  but  He  no  longer  trem- 


i4o  APOSTLES'  CREED 

bled.  He  was  full  of  courage.  The  apostles  were  still 
sleeping.  What  did  Jesus  say  to  them?  Who  was  the 
traitor  ? 

Explanation  —  Jesus  suffers  through  obedience.  How 
were  our  first  parents  punished  for  their  sin?  What 
misfortune  did  Adam  bring  upon  all  men?  How  is  the 
sin  called,  which  we  inherit  from  Adam?  What  would 
happen  to  men,  if  God  had  not  shown  them  mercy?  How 
did  our  Redeemer  intend  to  free  us  from  sin?  To  whom 
did  He  say  that  in  heaven?  And  God  the  Father  accepted 
His  offer. 

When  our  Saviour  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  saw  the  suf- 
ferings He  was  about  to  endure,  He  was  seized  with  a 
great  dread.  What  did  He  pray  for  to  His  Heavenly 
Father?  What  was  there  in  that  chalice?  Our  sins  and 
His  sufferings.  How  often  did  Jesus  address  that  prayer 
to  His  heavenly  Father?  But  what  did  He  add  each  time 
to  His  prayer?  But  His  Father  did  not  take  away  the  chal- 
ice. What  did  the  Saviour  do  then?  He  who  does  what 
the  Father  wills,  is  obedient.  How  did  our  Saviour  show 
Himself  obedient  to  His  Father?  For  whom  was  Jesus 
going  to  suffer  and  die?  For  all  men;  for  each  one  of  us 
also.  He  willed  to  take  upon  Himself  the  punishment  we 
deserved  for  our  sins.  If  we  had  not  sinned,  our  Saviour 
would  have  had  no  need  to  suffer  and  die.  For  whom 
did  He  suffer  on  the  Mount  of  Olives?  What  did  He 
suffer  there  for  us?  How  great  was  His  agony?  He 
sweat  blood.  Think  of  this  when  you  recite  the  first  sor- 
rowful mystery  of  the  rosary. 

Application.  In  His  great  anguish  Jesus  began  to 
pray.  To  whom  did  He  pray?  Now,  children,  sometimes 
you  have  some  little  thing  to  suffer ;  for  instance :  when 
you  dread  something;  when  you,  your  father  or  mother 
are  sick,  or  some  misfortune  has  happened  in  the  family. 
What  should  you  then  do?  If  God  does  not  immediately 
grant  you  what  you  pray  for,  you  must  not  stop  praying. 


THE  ARREST  OF  JESUS  141 

Our  Saviour  did  not  stop  praying.     How  many  times  did 
He  pray?     So  you   also   should  pray   again. 

Our  Saviour  did  not  tell  the  heavenly  Father :  "  Father, 
Thou  must  take  away  that  chalice  and  My  bitter  passion, 
for  I  do  not  want  to  suffer."  But  how  did  He  pray? 
Therefore  you  must  not  pray :  "  Dear  Lord,  Thou  must 
help  me."  How  ought  you  to  pray?  "Not  my  will,  O 
Lord,  but  Thy  will  be  done."  What  should  you  think? 
"  If  God  does  not  wish  to  take  away  this  suffering  from 
me,  I  will  bear  it  cheerfully."  Then  if  God  does  not  take 
it  away,  your  prayer  is  not  in  vain.  Our  Saviour's  prayer 
was  not  in  vain,  for  the  heavenly  Father  sent  Him  an  an- 
gel to  console  and  strengthen  Him.  In  like  manner,  God 
will  console  and  strengthen  you,  so  that  you  may  be  able 
to  bear  that  suffering. 

31.  The  Arrest  of  Jesus. 

Object.     I  will  relate  to  you  how  Jesus  was  arrested. 

Relation.  Whilst  Jesus  was  telling  His  apostles :  "  See 
the  traitor  is  coming,"  Judas  came  with  many  soldiers  and 
servants.  They  were  armed  with  swords  and  clubs.  Ju- 
das had  said  to  them :  "  He  whom  I  shall  kiss  is  the  one 
you  must  arrest."  Then  he  went  to  Jesus  and  said :  "  Hail, 
Master !  "  And  he  kissed  Jesus.  But  Jesus  said  to  him : 
"Friend,  for  what  art  thou  come?  Dost  thou  betray  the 
Son  of  man  with  a  kiss?"  Then  Jesus  went  to  meet  the 
crowd,  and  asked :  "  Whom  do  you  seek  ?  "  They  replied : 
"  Jesus  of  Nazareth."  And  Jesus  said :  "  I  am  He."  And 
they  fell  backward  to  the  ground.  Jesus  again  asked 
them :  "  Whom  do  you  seek  ?  "  They  answered :  "  Jesus 
of  Nazareth."  Jesus  then  said :  "  I  have  told  you  that  I 
am  He.  If  you  seek  Me,  let  these  go  their  way  "  (let  these 
alone).  And  they  laid  hands  on  Jesus.  Then  Peter  drew 
a  sword  and  hit  Malchus,  a  servant  of  the  highpriest,  and 
cut  off  his  right  ear.     Jesus  said  to  Peter :  "  Put  back  thy 


142  APOSTLES'  CREED 

sword  into  its  scabbard."  And  Jesus  touched  the  ear  of 
Malchus  and  healed  it.  Now  Jesus  was  seized  and  bound. 
But  the  apostles  left  Him  and  ran  away.  Only  Peter  and 
John  followed  Jesus  from  afar. 

Explanation  —  The  band.  What  had  Jesus  said  to  the 
apostles,  when  He  came  to  them  after  His  third  prayer? 
Who  was  the  traitor?  But  Judas  did  not  come  alone. 
Who  accompanied  him?  The  soldiers  and  the  servants  of 
the  highpriest.  Priests  and  scribes  went  along  in  the  rear. 
That  was  a  large  crowd.  What  had  the  soldiers  and  serv- 
ants brought  along?  And  what  else?  Ropes  and  chains. 
Why? 

The  traitor.  Many  of  the  soldiers  and  servants  did  not 
know  Jesus.  They  might  have  mistaken  one  of  the  apostles 
for  Jesus.  What  means  did  Judas  use  to  point  Jesus  out 
to  them  ?  He  said :  "  He  whom  I  shall  kiss,  is  Jesus.  Ar- 
rest Him ;  and  take  care  that  He  does  not  escape."  But 
when  Judas  saw  Jesus,  he  got  afraid,  and  began  to  trem- 
ble. But  He  nevertheless  went  up  to  Jesus.  How  did  he 
greet  Jesus?     And  what  did  he  do? 

Jesus  and  the  traitor.  To  kiss  someone  is  a  mark  of 
love.  What  did  Judas  wish  Jesus  to  believe  when  he  kissed 
Jesus?  But  Jesus  knew  well  that  Judas  was  betraying 
Him  with  his  kiss,  and  yet  He  allowed  Judas  to  kiss  Him. 
He  also  kissed  Judas.  Oh,  how  many  saints  would  have 
been  overjoyed,  if  Jesus  had  deigned  to  kiss  them !  But 
Jesus  did  not.  But  He  permitted  Judas  to  kiss  Him,  and 
He  also  kissed  Judas.  What  did  Jesus  say  to  Judas,  when 
Judas  had  kissed  Him?  Jesus  looked  sadly  at  Judas.  He 
meant  to  say  to  him :  "  Judas,  with  a  kiss  people  are  wont 
to  show  their  love;  but  thou  kissest  Me,  in  order  to  enable 
My  enemies  to  recognize  Me."  Our  Saviour  said  this  in 
a  friendly  manner  to  Judas.  Do  you  know  why  Jesus  was 
so  friendly  to  Judas?  Jesus  wished  to  remind  Judas  of 
what  a  horrible  sin  he  was  committing,  and  how  deeply  it 
pained  Him.     Judas  ought  then  to  have  knelt  down  before 


THE  ARREST  OF  JESUS  143 

Jesus  and  said  to  Him :  "  O  dear  Saviour,  forgive  my 
great  sin.  I  am  sorry  for  having  so  shamefully  betrayed 
Thee."  But  Judas  did  not  do  that.  Had  he  done  it,  Jesus 
would  have  forgiven  him. 

Jesus  and  the  armed  band.  Now  the  soldiers  and  serv- 
ants knew  Jesus.  Jesus  advanced  to  meet  them.  What 
did  He  ask  them?  What  did  they  answer?  What  did 
Jesus  then  say?  And  what  happened  to  them  when  Jesus 
had  said  this?  It  happened  like  a  sudden  clap  of  thunder; 
they  fell  down  all  at  once  as  if  they  had  been  struck  dead. 
Who  caused  them  to  fall  down  so  suddenly?  Jesus  wished 
to  show  His  enemies:  "  If  I  wished,  you  could  do  Me  no 
harm,  for  I  could  by  a  single  word  suddenly  strike  you  all 
dead ;  and  then  I  could  go  away  where  I  wished,  and  none 
of  you  could  touch  Me  even  with  a  finger." 

Jesus  is  arrested.  Slowly  the  soldiers  and  servants  got 
up  one  after  the  other,  and  stood  up  in  ranks.  What  did 
Jesus  ask  them  the  second  time?  What  answer  did  they 
give  Him?  And  what  did  Jesus  then  say?  Whom  did  He 
forbid  them  to  harm?  What  did  the  armed  band  then  do? 
The  soldiers  went  up  to  Jesus,  surrounded  Him,  and  laid 
hands  on  Him. 

Peter  defends  Jesus.  Which  apostle  tried  to  help  Je- 
sus? What  kind  of  weapon  did  he  use?  He  drew  his 
sword  out  of  his  scabbard  (case).  Whose  ear  did  he  cut 
off?  What  was  Malchus?  But  Jesus  did  not  want  Peter 
to  fight  for  Him.  He  could  have  helped  Himself,  if  He 
had  wished.  What  did  He  say  to  Peter?  Jesus  was  sorry 
to  see  Malchus  bleeding  so  much.  What  did  He  do  there- 
fore? He  healed  Malchus.  What  could  the  Jews  have 
concluded  from  this?  That  Jesus  was  God.  What  should 
they  have  done  then? 

Jesus  is  led  away.  What  did  they  do  instead  with  Jesus  ? 
Jesus  quietly  gave  His  hands  to  be  bound.  And  they  bound 
His  hands  tight  together,  and  dragged  Him  away.  On 
the  way  the  soldiers  kept  pulling  and  pushing  Him  and 


144  APOSTLES'  CREED 

striking  Him.  They  treated  Him  so  roughly  that  He  fell 
down  several  times  before  reaching  Jerusalem.  The  priests 
and  scribes  rejoiced  like  devils  over  all  this.  They 
thought :  "  Now  we  have  got  Him.  He  shall  never  escape 
us.     He  shall  die."     But  Jesus  bore  all  this  in  silence. 

The  apostles  flee.  When  the  apostles  saw  that  Jesus 
willingly  allowed  Himself  to  be  bound,  they  did  not  know 
what  was  going  to  happen  to  them,  and  they  got  fright- 
ened. What  did  they  do  through  fear?  But  not  all. 
Who  did  not  flee?     What  did  they  do? 

Further  Explanation — Jesus  suffers  freely.  Jesus 
knew  beforehand  that  Judas  was  going  to  betray  Him  to 
His  enemies.  He  knew  also  where  His  enemies  would 
bring  Him  after  His  arrest.  Where?  What  could  Jesus 
have  done  to  prevent  His  enemies  from  arresting  Him  in 
the  Garden  of  Olives?  And  Jesus  went  there.  Why? 
When  Jesus  had  prayed  the  third  time  in  the  Garden  of 
Olives,  He  knew  that  Judas  was  coming  with  His  enemies. 
What  did  He  say  about  it  to  His  apostles?  What  could 
Jesus  have  done  even  then  to  escape  from  His  enemies? 
But  He  did  not  go  away.  On  the  contrary,  He  advanced 
to  meet  Judas  and  His  enemies.  What  does  this  prove? 
What  could  Jesus  have  done  when  all  His  enemies  had 
fallen  down?  And  why  did  He  not  wish  Peter  to  defend 
Him?  And  if  our  Saviour  had  prayed  for  it,  His  heavenly 
Father  would  have  sent  Him  a  hundred  thousand  angels  to 
protect  Him.  Indeed,  Jesus  needed  only  to  say  the  word,  or 
to  breathe,  and  He  could  have  made  Himself  free.  No 
one  could  compel  Him.  But  He  did  none  of  these  things. 
Why?  Because  He  wished  to  suffer  and  die  for  us. 
Therefore  He  suffered  of  His  own  free  will. 

Summary.  How  did  our  Saviour  suffer?  He  suffered 
of  His  own  free  will. 

Application.  How  beautiful  would  it  be,  if  you  would 
sometimes  willingly  suffer  a  little  for  our  dear  Saviour's 
sake !     Suppose  on  a  certain  week-day  you  had  no  school, 


JESUS  IS  SCOURGED  145 

and  you  hear  the  bell  ringing  for  early  Mass.  You  are  still 
in  bed  ;  and  it  feels  so  good  to  remain  in  it.  And  you  think : 
"  To-day  I  will  stay  in  bed,  and  not  go  to  Mass,  for  it  is 
no  sin  not  to  hear  Mass  on  a  week-day."  But  now  comes 
another  thought :  "  For  the  love  of  our  dear  Saviour,  I  will 
get  up  and  go  to  Mass."  And  you  do  so.  You  thus  do 
something  difficult  for  you,  and  resemble  our  Saviour. 
And  your  heart  tells  you :  "  You  have  done  well."  And 
you  feel  happy  over  it. 

I  will  now  relate  how  a  certain  boy  suffered  something 
willingly.  A  man  wished  to  take  a  walk  in  the  forest 
with  his  three  sons  on  a  Sunday  afternoon  after  Vespers. 
But  their  sister  was  sick,  and  she  would  have  to  remain 
alone  the  whole  afternoon  in  bed.  Their  mother  had  long 
been  dead.  Now  a  voice  from  his  heart  said  to  the  eldest 
boy :  ' '  Will  you  not  stay  home  with  your  sick  sister,  so 
that  she  may  not  feel  lonesome  ?  "  That  boy  had  already 
the  whole  week  before  been  rejoicing  at  the  prospect  of 
that  fine  walk,  and  he  felt  so  anxious  to  go  along.  But 
at  last  he  thought :  "  For  the  love  of  our  divine  Saviour  I 
will  stay  at  home  with  my  sick  sister."  How  beautiful 
was  his  conduct !  Did  it  not  cause  him  more  pleasure 
than  if  he  had  gone  out  walking?  In  this  way  you  can 
please  our  divine  Saviour  every  day  by  doing  something 
good  which  you  are  not  bound  to  do;  and  you  would  find 
every  day  more  and  more  pleasure  in  doing  so.  This  is 
a  very  good  way  to  thank  Jesus  for  having  willed  to  suffer 
so  much  for  you.     Try  it  all  of  you. 

32.  Jesus  is  scourged. 

Preparation.  What  must  a  child  do,  when  his  father 
commands  him  something?  Obey.  The  child  must  obey 
his  father.  He  who  does  not  obey  his  father,  commits  a 
fault.  What  does  the  child  deserve  for  that  fault?  Pun- 
ishment.    Suppose  a  child  steals  a  dollar,  he  commits  a 


146  APOSTLES'  CREED 

fault  and  deserves  punishment  for  it.  Which  fault  is  the 
greater,  to  disobey  or  to  steal  a  dollar?  To  steal  a  dollar. 
What  then  should  be  the  punishment  for  stealing  a  dollar? 
Greater  than  for  disobedience.  Hence  the  child  who  steals 
should  be  punished  with  the  rod.  Stealing  is  an  evil  deed, 
or  rather  a  misdeed,  a  crime.  What,  then,  is  the  child 
who  steals?  A  thief,  a  criminal.  He  who  steals  only  a 
trifle,  is  a  petty  criminal,  an  evil-doer.  A  criminal  is  a 
thief  that  steals  much,  or  a  person  that  robs,  kills,  etc. 
What  kind  of  punishment  does  such  a  criminal  deserve? 
A  great  punishment.  Who  punishes  criminals?  The  po- 
lice arrest  him  and  bring  him  to  the  judge  of  the  Criminal 
Court,  and  he  is  tried  by  the  judge  and  jury.  The  wit- 
nesses tell  what  they  saw  or  know  of  his  crime.  After 
this  the  jury  brings  in  a  verdict  of  "  guilty "  or  "  not 
guilty,"  and,  if  he  is  not  guilty,  the  judge  sets  him  free ;  but 
if  he  is  guilty,  the  judge  condemns  him,  according  to  his 
crime,  either  to  death  or  to  the  penitentiary,  and  hard  labor 
for  a  number  of  years  or  for  life.  The  greatest  crimes, 
such  as  murder,  are  punishable  with  death  (hanging  or  elec- 
trocution).    (Who  appoints  or  elects  the  judge?) 

In  the  time  of  our  Saviour  the  judges  were  appointed 
by  the  Roman  emperor.  The  Roman  emperor  did  not 
live  in  Judea;  but  appointed  a  governor  for  Judea,  who 
had  the  power  to  govern  and  to  judge  the  greater  criminals 
and  condemn  them  to  death.  Among  the  Jews  highway 
robbers  and  murderers  were  condemned  to  be  crucified, 
that  is,  to  be  nailed  to  a  cross  and  to  die  on  it.  The  chief 
priests  wished  Jesus  to  be  crucified ;  therefore  they  brought 
Him  to  the  Roman  governor,  Pontius  Pilate,  that  he  should 
condemn  Jesus  to  be  crucified,  as  if  He  was  one  of  the 
greatest  criminals. 

Object.  I  will  relate  to  you  what  the  Roman  governor 
did  to  Jesus. 

Relation.  In  the  morning  Jesus  was  brought  to  Pon- 
tius Pilate,  that  he  might  condemn  Jesus  to  death.     But  Pi- 


JESUS  IS  SCOURGED  147 

late  easily  saw  that  the  chief  priests  had  brought  Jesus 
through  envy  to  be  condemned.  He  sought  to  set  Jesus 
free.  But  the  priests  and  scribes  excited  the  people,  and 
they  all  cried  out  as  loud  as  they  could :  "  Crucify  Him, 
crucify  Him!"  Pilate  replied:  "What  evil  has  He  done? 
I  will  have  Him  scourged,  and  then  I  will  set  Him  free." 
Then  he  commanded  Jesus  to  be  scourged. 

Explanation  —  Jesus  is  brought  to  Pilate.  The  Jews 
had  arrested  Jesus  during  the  night.  On  what  day  ?  Then, 
on  Friday  morning  the  Jews  brought  Jesus  to  the  Roman 
governor.  What  was  his  name  ?  Why  did  they  bring  Jesus 
to  the  Roman  governor?  Why  did  they  wish  Jesus  to  be 
put  to  death?  If  Jesus  were  put  to  death,  He  would  be 
looked  upon  as  a  great  criminal. 

Pilate  finds  Jesus  not  guilty  of  any  crime.  The  chief 
priests,  therefore,  accused  Jesus  of  many  wicked  deeds; 
but  they  lied,  and  could  not  prove  what  they  said.  You 
know  that  Jesus  had  done  many  good  things  to  men.  Men- 
tion some  of  them.  Pilate  examined  everything  that  the 
chief  priests  said  against  Jesus.  What  did  Pilate  find  out 
about  the  chief  priests?  And  what  was  it  that  he  did  not 
find  out  about  Jesus?  Guilt.  It  is  not  allowed  to  put 
an  innocent  man  to  death.  What  should  a  judge  do  to  an 
innocent  man?  What  should  Pilate  have  done  to  Jesus? 
Pilate  wished  to  set  Jesus  free. 

The  chief  priests  excite  the  people.  But  the  chief  priests 
did  not  want  him  to  do  that.  Therefore  they  told  the  peo- 
ple :  "  Jesus  must  not  be  set  free.  Do  not  allow  it.  He 
must  be  crucified !  "  They  made  the  people  wild,  just  like 
bad  boys  excite  a  dog.  And  what  did  the  people  (rabble) 
cry  out  ?  What  did  Pilate  ask  them  ?  What  did  Pilate  de- 
clare Jesus  to  be?  Innocent.  What  then  ought  Pilate  to 
have  done  at  once? 

Pilate  condemns  Jesus  to  be  scourged.  But  Pilate  was 
afraid.  He  thought:  "If  I  do  not  punish  Jesus,  the  peo- 
ple will  become  still  more  wild.     I  must  give  him  a  pun- 


148  APOSTLES'  CREED 

ishment  to  quiet  them."  What  punishment  did  he  order 
to  be  inflicted  on  Jesus?  The  scourging.  With  what  does 
a  father  punish  his  bad  child?  Pilate  ordered  Jesus  to  be 
beaten  with  heavy  rods  and  big  whips,  whips  far  worse 
than  those  of  teamsters,  for  each  of  them  had  several 
thongs,  and  at  the  end  of  the  thongs  there  were  pieces  of 
sharp  iron  or  balls  of  lead.  These  whips  were  called 
scourges. 

The  scourging.  Jesus  was  scourged  outside  the  court 
building,  and  not  before  Pilate.  The  soldiers  tied  Jesus 
to  a  stone  column  after  pulling  off  His  clothing.  Jesus 
had  to  stand  half  naked.  Oh,  how  he  felt  ashamed !  And 
now  two  soldiers  began  to  scourge  Him  with  those  terrible 
whips.  They  hit  Him  with  all  their  might.  Every  blow 
makes  a  red  and  blue  mark  on  His  skin ;  but  soon  the  skin 
is  cut  through  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  flows ;  and  still  they 
continue  to  strike  Him  as  hard  as  they  can.  When  the 
first  two  soldiers  get  tired  striking  Jesus,  two  other  soldiers 
take  their  places,  and  then  not  only  is  the  skin  of  Jesus 
all  torn,  but  His  flesh  also,  and  His  blood  runs  in  streams 
down  to  the  ground.  Soon  the  flesh  of  Jesus  is  so  torn, 
that  in  some  places  His  very  bones  can  be  seen.  And  thus 
Jesus  is  so  cruelly  scourged  until  all  the  soldiers  are  so  tired 
that  they  must  stop !  The  whole  body  of  Jesus  is  a  dread- 
ful wound;  He  is  all  bloody  and  bleeding  from  head  to 
foot,  and  the  ground  is  covered  with  a  pool  of  His  blood! 
Oh,  how  Jesus  suffered !  Every  blow  convulsed  Him  with 
pain ;  and  His  body  was  so  delicate,  so  sensitive  to  the 
slightest  pain.  He  wept  aloud  for  pain;  His  crying  could 
be  heard  between  the  blows  He  received;  and  the  Jews 
stood  around  Him  rejoicing,  laughing  at  and  making  fun 
of  Plim,  and  shamefully  insulting  Him !  When  He  was 
untied  from  the  column,  He  was  so  weak  and  so  faint,  that 
He  fell  down  half  dead  on  the  ground!  But  He  was  made 
to  get  up  and  to  put  on  His  clothes  Himself.  There  was 
no  one  to  help  Him,  who  had  helped  so  many ! 


JESUS  IS  SCOURGED  149 

Further  Explanation  —  Jesus  suffers  innocently. 
If  Jesus  had  been  a  criminal,  He  would  have  deserved 
that  no  one  should  help  Him.  But  what  evil  had  He  done? 
What  did  Pilate  say  about  His  innocence?  Jesus  was  per- 
fectly  faultless.     Jesus  therefore   suffered   innocently. 

Jesus  suffers  patiently.  Suppose  some  other  man,  who 
was  innocent,  had  been  scourged  as  cruelly  as  our  Saviour, 
would  he  not  cry  out  aloud,  complain,  scold,  and  show  the 
greatest  impatience?  But  how  differently  did  Jesus  act? 
What  did  He  do,  when  He  was  scourged?  He  wept,  and 
thought  in  His  heart :  "  My  Heavenly  Father  wills  that  I 
should  suffer  this."  Therefore  Jesus  quietly  held  out  His 
bare  back  to  the  blows  and^ allowed  the  soldiers  to  scourge 
Him  so  cruelly !  When  we  suffer  quietly  and  do  not  com- 
plain, but  think :  "  Our  dear  Lord  has  sent  me  this  pain, 
and  I  will  suffer  it  willingly,"  we  suffer  patiently.  What 
is  it  that  Jesus  did  not  do  whilst  He  was  scourged  ?  Show 
impatience.  What  did  He  think  in  His  heart?  How  did 
He  suffer? 

For  our  sins.  Jesus  took  upon  Himself  the  punishment 
due  to  our  sins,  as  if  He  really  deserved  it.  But  there  was 
no  guilt  in  Him.  All  men  were  guilty.  Each  sin  is  a 
debt  to  God's  justice.  Who  committed  the  first  sin  on 
earth  and  contracted  the  first  debt  to  God's  justice?  Every 
sin  contracts  a  debt  to  God's  justice.  Just  think  now  how 
many  and  how  great  debts  all  men  have  since  the  first  sin 
contracted  to  God's  justice!  And  each  of  you  has  already 
contracted  many  such  debts.  And  our  Saviour  took  all 
these  debts  upon  Himself,  and  allowed  Himself  to  be 
scourged  for  them !  And  He  received  on  His  innocent  and 
tender  body  the  fearful  blows  which  all  men  deserved ! 

Especially  for  impurity.  In  the  scourging  Jesus  not  only 
suffered  cruel  blows,  but  He  was  especially  greatly  pained 
and  put  to  shame  in  appearing  half  naked  before  a  great 
number  of  people.  And  there  are  children  who  are  not 
ashamed  to  stand  around  in  the  house  half  naked  morning 


150  APOSTLES'  CREED 

and  evening,  or  who  unnecessarily  uncover  themselves 
during  the  day  even  before  others !  Woe  to  those  im- 
modest children !  It  was  especially  on  account  of  their 
sins  that  Jesus  was  so  cruelly  beaten  on  His  bare  body  be- 
fore so  many  people. 

Summary.  For  whom  did  Jesus  allow  Himself  to  be  so 
cruelly  scourged?  For  all  men.  But  for  whose  sins  es- 
pecially was  he  scourged?  For  the  sins  of  the  immodest 
and  the  impure.  How  did  He  suffer  the  scourging?  In- 
nocently and  patiently.  From  what  words  do  you  see  that 
He  was  innocent?  How  do  you  know  that  He  suffered 
patiently  ? 

Application,  i.  Suppose  when  you  go  home,  you 
would  find  your  father  or  your  mother  lying  on  the  floor 
all  bleeding  and  covered  with  wounds,  and  hear  them 
groaning  with  pain!  Would  you  not  grieve  very  much, 
especially  if  you  knew  that  they  were  suffering  this  on  your 
account  ?  Now  see  our  divine  Saviour  lying  down  near  the 
pillar,  all  covered  with  fearful  bleeding  wounds  and  moan- 
ing for  pain,  and  that  on  account  of  your  sins !  Does  not 
this  sight,  this  thought  grieve  you?  You  should,  there- 
fore, resolve  to  be  pure  and  modest,  never  to  look  or  touch 
with  pleasure  anything  impure. 

2.  Was  it  not  cruel  for  the  soldiers  to  scourge  our  in- 
nocent Saviour  so  unmercifully?  But  our  Saviour  bore 
it  patiently.  Perhaps  you  may  have  yet  to  suffer  some- 
thing without  being  guilty  (deserving  it).  How  much  you 
would  please  our  Saviour,  if  you  would  bear  it  patiently. 
For  your  sake  Jesus  suffered  so  patiently.  Strive,  there- 
fore, also  to  suffer  patiently  for  His  sake.  3.  Let  us,  when 
we  recite  the  second  decade  of  the  sorrowful  mysteries  of 
the  rosary,  reflect  on  the  fearful  pains  Jesus  endured  in 
His  scourging. 


JESUS  CROWNED  WITH  THORNS        151 

33.  Jesus  is  crowned  with  thorns. 

Object.  I  will  relate  to  you  how  Jesus,  after  being 
scourged,  was  reviled  and  mocked  by  the  soldiers. 

Relation.  After  scourging  Jesus  the  soldiers  put  on 
Jesus  an  old  tattered  purple  cloak.  They  also  plaited  a 
crown  of  thorns,  and  put  it  on  His  head,  and  placed  a 
reed  in  His  right  hand.  Then  in  mockery  they  bent  their 
knee  before  Jesus,  saying:  "Hail,  king  of  the  Jews." 
Some  spit  upon  Him ;  one  after  another  slapped  Him, 
took  the  reed  out  of  His  hand,  and  hit  Him  on  the  head 
with  it. 

Explanation  —  Jesus  as  a  mock  king.  After  the 
scourging  Jesus  was  led  into  Pilate's  yard ;  the  soldiers 
guarded  Him.  Our  Saviour  stood  there  trembling  with 
pain.  How  good  it  would  have  been  for  Him,  if  He  could 
have  had  a  little  rest !  But  His  sufferings  were  far  from 
being  over.  The  soldiers  had  heard  that  He  claimed  to 
be  a  king.  Now  they  thought  they  could  have  a  little 
fun  with  Him.  A  king,  in  those  days,  usually  wore  a 
rich  purple  cloak ;  and  Jesus  would  need  one,  if  He  were 
to  be  presented  as  a  king.  The  soldiers  soon  found  an 
old,  worn  out,  ragged  red  cloak.  They  then  roughly  pulled 
off  by  force  all  His  clothing,  which  was  now  sticking  close 
to  His  terrible  wounds,  and  cause  His  wounds  to  bleed 
afresh,  to  His  great  suffering.  Suppose  you  had  badly 
cut  your  finger,  and  your  mother  bandaged  it  with  a  piece 
of  linen,  and  the  linen  were  now  sticking  closely  to  the 
wound  of  your  finger ;  how  greatly  would  it  hurt  you  to 
pull  off  roughly  that  piece  of  linen  from  your  finger !  And 
would  not  the  wound  of  your  finger  begin  to  bleed  again? 
But  our  divine  Saviour  had  not  merely  one  wound,  but  His 
whole  back  was  covered  with  large,  deep  wounds,  and  His 
clothing  was  sticking  fast  to  His  wounds,  and  the  soldiers 
most  roughly  pulled  off  His  clothes  to  hurt  Him  the  more ! 
How  greatly  He  must  have  suffered !     His  wounds  must 


152  APOSTLES'  CREED 

have  burned  like  fire !  What  did  the  soldiers  place  after 
this  on  His  shoulders !  Now  Jesus  was  wearing  a  king's 
cloak ! 

A  king,  in  those  days,  sat  on  a  golden  throne.  What 
does  Jesus  need  more  to  be  a  king?  Therefore  the  sol- 
diers lead  Him  to  a  large  stone.  That  was  to  be  His 
throne.  They  made  Him  sit  on  it.  But  the  king  on  his 
throne  wore  a  golden  crown  on  his  head.  Therefore  the 
soldiers  said :  "  This  king  must  have  a  crown."  They 
then  made  Him  a  crown,  not  of  gold,  but  one  of  thorns. 
They  took  branches  full  of  thorns,  and  plaited  them  into 
a  crown,  and  then  set  that  crown  on  His  head.  They 
pressed  it  down  on  His  head  as  hard  as  they  could,  so  as 
to  make  the  thorns  sink  deep  into  His  head.  Those  thorns 
were  very  sharp  and  as  hard  as  nails.  How  it  hurts  when 
a  little  thorn  has  entered  our  finger  or  our  foot !  But  the 
long,  sharp  and  hard  thorns  of  our  Saviour's  crown  sank 
deep  into  His  head.  How  terrible  were  the  pains  they 
caused  Him ! 

A  king  on  his  throne  held  a  costly  rod,  called  sceptre, 
in  his  hand.  What  kind  of  sceptre  did  the  soldiers  place 
in  our  Saviour's  hand?  It  was  a  reed.  Relate  how  the 
soldiers  adorned  Jesus  as  a  mock  king. 

The  mockery.  A  king  on  his  golden  throne  was  rev- 
erenced by  the  people.  Those  who  approached  him,  used 
to  kneel  on  one  knee  very  respectfully.  What  did  the 
soldiers  do  to  Jesus  Christ?  They  bent  their  knee  before 
Him  and  pulled  out  their  tongue  at  Him.  They  did  not 
intend  to  honor  Jesus,  but  to  mock  and  revile  Him  by 
their  kneeling.  A  king  is  greeted  by  the  words :  "  Long 
live  our  king !  "  But  the  soldiers  greeted  Him  in  mockery : 
"  Hail,  king  of  the  Jews !  "  Costly  presents  are  offered 
to  a  king.  What  presents  did  the  soldiers  give  to  Jesus? 
They  slapped  Him,  they  spat  in  His  face !  In  kneeling  be- 
fore a  king,  the  people  kiss  his  sceptre.     How  did  they 


JESUS  CROWNED  WITH  THORNS        153 

mock  Jesus  with  the  reed  as  His  sceptre?  Finally  to  com- 
plete the  mockery,  they  threw  Jesus  down  on  the  ground 
from  the  stone.  Look  at  the  picture  representing  Jesus 
crowned  with  thorns.  He  is  seated  on  a  stone;  His  head 
is  bent  down;  His  beautiful  forehead  is  covered  with  the 
crown  of  thorns ;  His  hair  is  entangled  in  the  thorns ;  blood 
is  flowing  from  every  part  of  His  head,  and  running  in 
streamlets  down  His  face,  dyeing  His  shoulders  red,  and 
gluing  His  hair  together.  Around  are  the  soldiers  mocking 
Him.     How  this  causes  pain  and  shame  to  our  Saviour ! 

Further  Explanation  —  Hoiv  painful  and  undeserved 
the  mockery.  Let  us  suppose  that  some  children  had  done 
wicked  things  in  a  house.  Only  one  of  the  children  there 
had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  All  the  others  blame  him  for 
it ;  and  he  is  severely  punished  by  his  father.  The  innocent 
child  weeps  bitterly.  When  the  father  is  gone,  the  wicked 
children  stand  around  the  innocent  child,  and  mock  him. 
Now  tell  me  what  hurts  the  innocent  child  more,  the  pun- 
ishment, or  the  mockery  of  the  other  children? 

Our  Saviour  also  is  innocent.  For  whom  did  He  suffer 
such  terrible  punishment?  He  suffered  for  all  men,  out 
of  love  for  them.  Men  should  therefore  have  had  com- 
passion on  Him  in  His  suffering.  But  instead  of  pitying 
Him,  what  did  the  soldiers  do?  How  greatly  must  it  have 
pained  Jesus !  Every  word  and  act  of  mockery  must  have 
been  like  the  thrust  of  a  big  thorn  into  His  heart.  Which 
hurt  Him  the  most,  the  thorns  piercing  His  head,  or  the 
mockery  piercing  His  heart? 

Jesus  suffers  mockery  for  us.  How  could  Jesus  have 
acted  towards  the  soldiers?  Had  He  wished,  He  could 
have  defended  Himself,  reproached  the  soldiers  for  their 
shameful  conduct,  and  by  a  single  word  or  breath  He 
could  have  made  them  fall  dead  to  the  ground.  But  what 
did  our  Saviour  do  against  all  this  mockery?  He  was 
perfectly  silent,  meek  and  gentle.     And  why?     Because  He 


154  APOSTLES'  CREED 

wished  to  suffer  for  mankind.  He  allowed  Himself  to  be 
reviled,  because  men  so  often  unjustly  revile  their  neighbor. 
Mockery  is  like  the  stroke  of  a  whip  in  one's  face,  so 
greatly  does  it  hurt.  Mockery  is  like  the  thorns  with  which 
we  would  pierce  and  pain  our  neighbor.  Oh,  how  it  pained 
Jesus  to  be  so  outrageously  mocked  !  Oh,  how  it  made  Him 
feel  ashamed !  What  a  fearful  penance  He  did  for  the 
sins  of  mockery  we  commit  against  our  neighbor ! 

Our  Saviour,  being  the  King  of  heaven  and  earth,  could 
have  worn  a  gold  crown  glittering  with  diamonds.  But 
He  wished  to  wear  a  crown  of  thorns,  because  men  have 
their  heads  so  full  of  proud  and  other  evil  thoughts,  and 
wish  to  be  and  to  have  more  than  others.  By  wearing 
such  a  painful  crown  Jesus  wished  to  do  penance  for  our 
evil  thoughts. 

Application.  You  have  probably  at  home  a  picture  of 
Jesus  crowned  with  thorns.  Who  does  not  feel  compassion 
for  Jesus  when  he  looks  at  it?  Did  not  Jesus  deserve  to 
be  better  treated?  How  sad  He  looks  in  that  picture! 
When  you  are  inclined  to  feel  proud,  just  look  at  that 
picture,  and  think  that  Jesus  suffered  it  all  for  the  many 
sins  of  pride  men  commit.  And  when  you  are  tempted  to 
make  fun  of,  to  ridicule  other  children,  old  people,  then 
remember  that  picture  of  Jesus  crowned  with  thorns.  Does 
He  not  wear  that  crown  of  thorns  to  atone  for  the  sins  of 
mockery  men  commit?  When  you  are  unjustly  laughed 
at  or  mocked,  remember  again  the  picture  of  Jesus  crowned 
with  thorns.  He  did  not  get  angry  or  mock  back.  Do 
then  as  He  did. 

The  crown  of  thorns  worn  by  our  Lord  is  a  thousand 
times  dearer  to  us  than  if  it  were  of  gold.  Our  Saviour 
wore  the  crown  of  thorns,  because  He  loved  us.  Now  as 
a  reward  for  it,  He  wears  in  heaven  a  crown  of  bright 
stars.  Instead  of  the  soldiers  bending  their  knee  before 
Him  in  mockery,  there  now  bend  the  knee  in  love  and 
adoration  before  Him  the  Pope,  the  bishops,  millions  of 


JESUS  CONDEMNED  TO  DIE  155 

the  best  people  on  earth,  and  in  heaven  countless  angels 
and  saints  kneel  before  Him,  adore  Him  and  sing  His 
praises  forever ! 


34.  Jesus  is  condemned  by  Pilate  to  die  on  the  Cross. 

Preparation.  Jesus  had  already  terribly  suffered  in  the 
scourging  and  crowning  with  thorns.  But  His  enemies 
were  not  satisfied.  They  insisted  that  Pilate  should  con- 
demn Him  to  be  crucified.  But  Pilate  wished  to  set  Him 
free.     Why? 

Object.  I  will  now  tell  you  how  it  happened  that  Pilate 
at  last  condemned  Jesus  to  be  crucified. 

Relation.  Pilate  attempted  once  more  to  free  Jesus. 
He  had  Him  brought  before  the  people.  Jesus  came  forth 
wearing  the  crown  of  thorns  and  the  purple  cloak.  Pilate 
said  to  them :  "  Behold  the  man !  "  The  chief  priests  and 
their  servants  cried  out :  "  Crucify  Him,  crucify  Him !  " 
Pilate  said :  "  I  find  no  crime  in  Him."  The  Jews  an- 
swered :  "  We  have  a  law,  and  according  to  this  law, 
He  must  die,  because  He  made  Himself  (claims  to  be) 
the  Son  of  God."  Pilate  tried  for  the  last  time  to  set  Jesus 
free.  But  the  Jews  became  furious  and  cried  out:  'If 
thou  set  Him  free,  thou  art  no  friend  of  Caesar"  (the  em- 
peror). Pilate  then  called  for  water  and  washed  his  hands 
before  the  people,  and  said:  "I  am  innocent  of  the  blood 
of  this  just  man.  See  you  to  it."  Then  all  the  people 
cried  out :  "  His  blood  be  upon  us  and  upon  our  chil- 
dren."    And  Pilate  gave  Jesus  up  to  be  crucified. 

Explanation  —  Jesus  is  presented  to  the  people.  After 
crowning  Jesus  with  thorns  and  mocking  Him,  the  soldiers 
again  brought  our  Saviour  to  Pilate.  Pilate  had  pity  on 
the  innocent  Jesus  so  cruelly  beaten  and  torn.  He  thought : 
"  I  will  now  show  Jesus  in  His  terrible  condition  to  the 
people :  perhaps  they  will  have  pity  on  Him  and  let  me 
set  Him  free."     What  did  he  then  do  with  Jesus?     Jesus 


156  APOSTLES'  CREED 

stood  before  the  people  all  wounded  and  bloody  and 
crowned  with  thorns.  He  wore  that  torn  purple  cloak, 
and  His  hands  were  tightly  bound  together.  All  the  people 
could  see  Him.  Pilate  pointed  to  Him  with  his  hand. 
What  did  he  say  to  the  people  ?  He  meant  by  these  words : 
"  Oh,  look  at  that  poor  terribly  scourged  man !  He  can 
scarcely  be  recognized.  He  hardly  looks  like  a  man,  for 
He  is  so  disfigured.  Have  you,  then,  not  a  spark  of  com- 
passion for  Him!  Oil,  let  Him  go  free  now;  He  has  been 
punished  enough."  All  eyes  were  now  turned  to  our 
Saviour.  He  was  a  fearful  sight,  wearing  a  crown  of 
thorns  and  a  ragged  cloak,  with  His  face  covered  with 
blood  and  spittle,  His  body  torn  by  the  scourging,  and  a 
reed  for  a  sceptre  in  His  bleeding  and  trembling  hands. 
He  was  bent  down.,  and  His  eyes  looked  so  sad  at  that 
ungrateful  people.  The  people  felt  shocked  at  seeing 
Jesus  in  so  pitiable  a  state.  Around  Him  all  was  as  silent 
as  death.  And  Pilate  thought :  "  Now  the  Jews  will  not 
say  anything  against  my  setting  Him  free." 

But  who  felt  no  pity  for  Jesus?  They  were  more  cruel 
than  wild  beasts.  What  did  the  chief  priests  and  their 
servants  cry  out?  They  looked  as  if  they  were  possessed 
by  the  devil.  Jesus  had  always  done  nothing  but  good 
to  the  Jews,  and  yet  they  cried  out  over  and  over  again: 
"  Crucify  Him,  crucify  Him !  "  Pilate  was  unwilling  to 
condemn  Jesus  to  be  crucified.  He  ought  also  to  have  set 
Him  free.  Why?  Because  he  declared  that  Jesus  was 
innocent,  that  Jesus  had  done  no  evil.  What  did  the  Jews 
answer,  when  Pilate  said:  "I  find  no  cause  (crime)  in 
Him"?  "He  must  die,  because  He  made  (claims  to  be) 
Himself  the  Son  of  God."  But  is  not  Jesus  really  the 
Son  of  God?  Was  it,  then,  wrong  for  Him  to  say:  "I 
am  the  Son  of  God"?     Did  He  deserve  death  for  this? 

Pilate  did  not  wish  to  condemn  Jesus  to  death.  He  tried 
for  the  last  time  to  free  Jesus.  What  did  the  Jews  then 
cry  out?     They  meant:     "If  you  set  Him  free,  we  will 


JESUS  CONDEMNED  TO  DIE  157 

get  you  into  trouble  with  the  emperor  by  bringing  charges 
against  you."  Pilate  wished  to  remain  a  friend  of  the 
emperor,  in  order  not  to  lose  his  office.  He,  therefore, 
got  afraid:  "I  will  rather  yield  to  the  demand  of  the 
Jews  than  get  into  trouble  with  the  emperor,  therefore  I 
will  condemn  Jesus  to  be  crucified." 

Pilate  zvashcs  his  hands.  The  blood  of  those  who  are 
crucified  flows  out  from  their  hands  and  feet;  and  those 
who  nail  them  to  the  cross  get  their  hands  all  bloody. 
As  Pilate  was  condemning  Jesus  to  be  crucified,  it  was 
as  if  he  himself  actually  nailed  the  hands  and  feet  of  Jesus 
to  the  cross  and  stained  his  hands  with  our  Saviour's  blood. 
But  Pilate  did  not  wish  to  be  responsible  for  shedding  the 
blood  of  Jesus  on  the  cross ;  he  wished  the  Jews  to  be 
alone  responsible  for  the  death  of  Jesus.  Therefore  he 
ordered  a  servant  to  bring  him  some  water.  What  for? 
What  did  he  do?  And  what  did  he  say?  Whom  did  he 
call  "  that  just  man  "?  Why  does  he  call  Jesus  "  that  just 
man "  ?  What  did  Pilate  mean  by  these  words  and  by 
washing  his  hands ?  "I  will  take  no  responsibility  for 
the  blood  of  Jesus  that  will  flow  on  the  cross.  You  chief 
priests  and  Jews  alone  are  responsible.  Beware,  for  you 
may  soon  be  severely  punished  for  it."  Pilate  in  placing 
all  responsibility  for  the  death  of  Jesus  on  the  Jews,  thought 
that  they  would  get  afraid  and  suffer  Jesus  to  be  set  free. 

But  Pilate  hoped  in  vain.  What  did  the  people  cry  out 
with  all  their  might?  They  meant:  "His  blood  must  be 
shed,  whatever  may  be  the  consequences.  We  will  take 
the  responsibility.  We  are  not  afraid  of  punishment  fall- 
ing upon  us ;  it  will  not  be  much ;  and  even  if  our  children 
are  punished  on  our  account,  they  will  be  able  to  stand  it." 
They  cared  no  more  for  the  death  of  Jesus,  than  for  the 
death  of  an  insect,  which  any  one  may  crush  with  his  foot. 

Our  Saviour  standing  there  had  seen  and  heard  all. 
How  it  must  have  pained  His  loving  heart  to  see  that 
people  so  cruel  and  so  ungrateful !     How  many  had  He 


158  APOSTLES'  CREED 

benefited  among  those  fiercely  clamoring  for  His  death ! 
He  had  blessed  their  children,  cured  their  sick.  He  could 
have  reproached  them  for  their  conduct.  But  He  kept 
silent  and  prayed  for  those  ungrateful  persons. 

The  sentence  of  death.  Pilate  then  sat  down  in  his 
judicial  seat.  Armed  Roman  soldiers  stood  on  each  side 
of  him.  Jesus  was  brought  before  him.  Pilate  said  to 
Jesus :  "  You  are  condemned  to  be  crucified."  Then  he 
said  to  the  soldiers :  "  Bring  the  cross."  To  what  was 
Jesus  condemned?  What  were  the  Jews  allowed  to  do  to 
Jesus?     To  whom  did  Pilate  turn  Jesus  over? 

Explanation  —  Pilate's  fault.  Pilate  seemed  to  think 
that  he  was  not  responsible  for  the  death  of  Jesus.  What 
should  Pilate  have  done  with  Jesus  after  declaring  Him 
innocent  and  just?  Set  Him  free.  What  should  he  never 
have  done  to  Jesus?  Condemn  Him.  It  is  never  allowed 
to  condemn  an  innocent  man  to  death.  Was  not  Pilate  very 
guilty  in  condemning  Jesus  to  death?  The  water  with 
which  he  washed  his  hands,  could  not  wash  away  this  great 
crime  from  his  soul.  Because  Pilate  was  guilty  of  making 
Jesus  suffer  so  much  we  say  in  the  Apostle's  Creed :  "  Suf- 
fered under  Pontius  Pilate." 

Jesus  suffers  freely.  Jesus  could  have  said  to  Pilate: 
"  Only  the  greatest  criminals  are  condemned  to  be  cruci- 
fied. You  know  that  I  am  innocent ;  why,  then,  do  you 
condemn  Me  to  be  crucified?"  But  what  did  our  Saviour 
say?  Nothing.  Why  did  not  Jesus  defend  Himself?  Be- 
cause He  willed  to  suffer  and  die.  No  one  could  have 
compelled  Him  against  His  will.  Therefore  He  suffered 
death  willingly,  freely. 

For  its.  Who  had  deserved  death  and  the  torments  of 
hell  ?  Who,  of  His  own  free  will,  took  our  sins  upon 
Himself?  Who,  then,  had  to  suffer  the  punishment  they 
deserved?  Our  Saviour.  Many  a  child  among  you,  for 
instance,  has  sinned  by  lying  and  disobedience.  What  has 
he  deserved  for  those  sins?     Which  of  you  would  be  will- 


JESUS  CONDEMNED  TO  DIE  159 

ing  to  take  upon  you  the  punishment  deserved  by  another 
child?  How  are  thieves  punished?  Imprisoned.  Which 
of  you  would  be  willing  to  be  imprisoned  instead  of  a  thief  ? 
Not  one.  What  punishment  does  a  murderer  deserve? 
Which  of  you  would  offer  to  be  executed  (put  to  death) 
instead  of  a  murderer?  Now  see  how  Jesus  freely  did  what 
none  of  you,  what  no  one  on  earth  would  be  willing  to  do. 
For  us  He  allowed  Himself  to  be  arrested,  scourged, 
crowned  with  thorns,  mocked  and  condemned  to  be  cruci- 
fied. 

Out  of  love.  What  does  this  prove?  That  Jesus  loves 
us.  Out  of  love  for  us  our  divine  Saviour  came  upon  earth 
and  became  man.  Out  of  love  for  us  He  willed  to  be  born 
in  a  stable,  to  be  laid  in  a  manger.  Out  of  love  for  us  He 
suffered  an  agony  and  sweat  blood  in  the  Garden  of  Olives. 
Out  of  love  for  us  He  allowed  Himself  to  be  cruelly 
scourged,  crowned  with  thorns  and  condemned,  as  a  great 
criminal,  to  be  crucified. 

Out  of  infinite  love.  And  this  He  did  for  all  men.  For 
all  men  He  willed  to  suffer  and  to  die,  and  this  even  for 
His  enemies,  for  the  chief  priests  and  scribes,  for  the 
soldiers  and  the  wicked  Jews.  [Yes,  even  for  the  traitor 
Judas,  Jesus  wished  to  suffer  and  die.  When  Judas  saw 
that  Jesus  was  condemned  to  death,  he  took  a  rope  and 
hanged  himself  on  a  tree.  Judas  had  no  reason  for  doing 
this.  If  he  had  said  to  Jesus :  "  I  am  sorry  for  betraying 
Thee,"  Jesus  would  have  forgiven  him  and  enabled  him 
to  go  to  heaven.]  So  great  was  our  Saviour's  love  for 
men.  No  one  has  ever  had  such  great  love.  There  can 
be  no  greater  than  our  Saviour's  for  sinful  men.  His 
love  for  us  has  no  bounds ;  it  is  an  infinite  love. 

Summary.  Therefore  we  say:  "Jesus,  out  of  His  in- 
finite love  for  us,  suffered  a  cruel  death."  Was  Jesus 
obliged  to  suffer  death?  No.  Jesus  suffered  death  for  us 
of  His  own  free  will. 

Application.     Dear  children,  because  Jesus,  out  of  His 


160  APOSTLES'  CREED 

infinite  love  for  us  suffered  so  many  and  such  painful 
torments,  we  ought,  out  of  love  for  Him  willingly  suffer 
a  little.  This  was  so  beautifully  done  by  little  Maria 
Josepha.  She  got  very  sick  and  had  great  pains  in  the 
chest  and  in  the  side.  A  pious  lady  once  visited  her,  and 
said :  "  Oh,  poor  child,  how  much  you  suffer ! "  But 
Maria  Josepha  replied :  "  My  dear  Jesus  suffered  a  great 
deal  more  for  me ;  His  whole  back  was  covered  with 
wounds ;  His  whole  head  was  pierced  with  thorns ;  and  I 
feel  only  a  little  pain  in  the  side.  Because  Jesus  suffered 
such  great  pains  for  me,  I  will  also,  for  His  sake,  bear 
my  pains  willingly." 

Dear  children,  imitate  that  pious  child.  If  you  have 
headache  or  toothache,  or  some  other  pain,  think :  "  O 
my  beloved  Jesus,  Thou  hast  suffered  much  greater  pains 
for  me.  Therefore,  I  will  bear  my  pains  also  for  Thy 
sake."  Those  who  do  this  show  themselves  grateful  to 
Jesus  and  please  Him  very  much. 

35.  Jesus  carries  His  heavy  Cross. 

Preparation.  Among  the  Jews  the  criminals  condemned 
to  death  were  executed  in  a  public  place.  The  place  of 
execution  for  Jesus  was  outside  of  Jerusalem  and  quite 
near  to  it.  It  was  a  hill,  or  a  small  mountain.  It  had 
two  names :  Golgotha  and  Mount  Calvary.  It  had  the 
form  of  a  man's  head ;  hence  it  was  called  the  mountain 
of  skulls.  Those  who  were  condemned  to  be  crucified,  had 
to  carry,  each  his  own  cross. 

Object.  I  will  now  relate  to  you  how  Jesus  carried  His 
cross  to  Mount  Calvary. 

Relation.  The  executioners  laid  hold  of  Jesus,  took 
off  His  purple  cloak,  put  on  Him  His  own  clothes,  and 
led  Him  out  to  be  crucified.  And  Jesus  went  out  of  the 
city  carrying  His  cross  to  the  place  called  Calvary,  or  Gol- 
gotha, that  is  a  place  of  skulls.     With  Jesus  two  murderers 


JESUS  CARRIES  HIS  CROSS  161 

were  led  out.  A  certain  man,  called  Simon,  coming  from 
the  fields,  was  passing  by.  The  soldiers  stopped  him  and 
obliged  him  to  carry  the  cross  behind  Jesus.  A  great  crowd 
accompanied  Jesus.  Among  them  were  women  crying  and 
lamenting  over  Jesus. 

Explanation  —  The  cross  laid  on  Jesus.     The  soldiers 
who  had  scourged  and  mocked  Jesus,  were  ordered  to  ac- 
company Him  to  the  place  of  execution.     We  call   them 
executioners,  for  they  were  to  crucify  Jesus.     As  soon  as 
Pilate  had  condemned  Jesus,  they  lay  hold  of  Jesus.     He 
should  no  longer  wear  the  purple  cloak.     What,  then,  did 
the    executioners    do?     And    what    did    they    put    on    our 
Saviour?     But  they  left  the  crown  of  thorns  on  His  head. 
Then  they  brought  the  large,  heavy  cross,  and  threw   it 
down  at  His  feet,  and  ordered  Him  to  take  it  up  and  carry 
it.     The  cross  was  twice  as  high  as  a  man.     A  carpenter 
had  made  it  with  two  heavy  boards.     When  our  Saviour 
saw   the   large   cross,    He    was,    at    first,    frightened.     He 
thought  of  the  fearful  sufferings  He  would  endure  on  it, 
and  also  of  the  great  shame  it  was  for  Him  to  die  on  the 
cross.     But  He  knew  also  that  His  heavenly  Father  sent 
Him  that  cross,  and  that  He  was  going  to  redeem  men  by 
dying  on  that  cross.     Our  Saviour  had   also  thought  on 
that  cross  all  His  life;  and  now  it  was  ready  for  Him. 
He  knelt  down,  put  His  arms  around  the  cross  and  kissed 
it.     And  then  He  took  it  up  courageously  in  His  arms, 
and  laid  it   Himself  on  His   shoulders  with   childlike   re- 
spect.    The  soldiers  now  led  Him  out  on  the  way  to  be 
crucified. 

The  march  to  Calvary.  Jesus  was  not  led  alone  to  the 
place  of  execution.  Who  were  led  out  with  Jesus?  It 
was  a  long  and  sad  march.  In  front  went  a  Roman  cap- 
tain on  horseback.  Then  came  Jesus  with  the  cross  on 
His  shoulder,  between  four  soldiers  leading  Him  by  a  rope. 
Then  came  the  two  murderers,  each  between  four  soldiers. 
After  them  came  the  executioners  who  were  to  nail  Jesus 


162  APOSTLES'  CREED 

and  the  two  murderers  to  their  crosses.  Then  came  the 
chief  priests  and  the  scribes  and  the  rabble.  They  rejoiced 
like  devils  that  Jesus  was  to  die  on  the  cross.  And  who 
else  went  with  Jesus? 

The  way  to  Calvary  was  very  painful  for  our  Saviour. 
He  had  become  very  faint  from  the  sweat  of  blood  in  the 
Garden  of  Olives,  from  the  scourging  and  crowning  with 
thorns,  and  from  having  had  nothing  to  eat  or  drink  for 
sixteen  or  more  hours.  Before  taking  the  cross  He  could 
scarcely  walk.  And  now  He  must  carry  that  heavy  cross 
on  His  bruised  and  wounded  shoulder.  He  staggered  along 
under  its  great  weight.  He  walked  very  much  bent  down. 
His  face  was  all  swollen  and  bloody.  His  eyes  looked  so 
sad  and  so  imploring  under  the  painful  crown  of  thorns. 
And  His  lips  moved  in  prayer.  Everywhere  in  the  streets, 
at  the  doors  and  windows  of  houses  people  stood  looking 
at  Jesus,  mocking  and  insulting  Him.  Where  was  He 
going?  To  Calvary,  the  place  of  execution.  The  proces- 
sion stopped  at  every  corner.  A  soldier  blew  the  trumpet, 
and  everything  became  quiet  and  still.  Then  the  soldier 
cried  out  in  a  loud  voice :  "  Know  you  that  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  has  been  condemned  to  be  crucified,  because  He 
said  that  He  is  the  king  of  the  Jews."  Then  the  procession 
continued  on  its  way. 

Jesus  falls.  The  way  was  very  rough.  After  going  a 
short  distance,  Jesus,  all  faint  and  worn  out,  fell  down, 
with  the  cross  upon  Him.  Jesus  stretched  out  His  hand 
for  help.  When  a  poor  horse  falls  down  under  his  load 
and  cannot  get  up,  everybody  runs,  out  of  pity,  to  help  him 
to  get  up.  But  for  Jesus  neither  the  soldiers  nor  the 
executioners  had  any  pity.  No  one  helped  him.  The  sol- 
diers began  to  curse,  to  pull  Him  by  the  rope  and  to  strike 
Him,  till  He  got  up  and  went  on. 

Simon  of  Cyrene.  When  our  Saviour  had  fallen  a  sec- 
ond time,  He  could  not  get  up.  The  soldiers  feared  He 
would  die  before  reaching  Calvary.     This  did  not  please 


JESUS  CARRIES  HIS  CROSS  163 

them,  for  they  wished  to  see  Him  die  on  the  cross.  There- 
fore they  wished  to  get  someone  to  help  Jesus  to  carry 
His  cross.  But  no  one  was  willing  to  do  so.  Whom  did 
they  then  meet?  Simon.  He  was  not  from  Jerusalem,  but 
from  a  distant  city,  called  Cyrene.  What  was  he  there- 
fore called?  Simon  of  Cyrene,  or  the  Cyrenean.  He  had 
been  at  work  and  was  returning  home  with  his  two  boys. 
He  did  not  come  to  help  Jesus.  He  refused.  What  did 
the  soldiers  do,  so  that  he  should  help  Jesus?  Simon 
looked  upon  it  as  a  great  shame  to  carry  the  cross  for 
Jesus.  He  would  rather  have  done  anything  else.  It  made 
him  afraid  merely  to  look  at  Jesus,  for  Jesus  looked  so 
horrible.  His  clothes  were  covered  with  mud  and  blood 
stains.  Therefore  Simon  did  not  wish  to  help  Jesus  to 
carry  His  cross.  He  refused  to  do  so.  But  Jesus,  lying 
on  the  ground  and  weeping,  stretched  out  his  hand  to  Simon, 
looking  imploringly  at  him.  Then  Simon's  heart  softened. 
He  took  the  cross  and  helped  Jesus  to  carry  it.  Then  the 
more  he  looked  at  the  bleeding  and  patient  Saviour,  the 
more  willing  he  was  to  help  Him ;  and  at  last  he  carried 
it  willingly  and  cheerfully.  How  fortunate  was  Simon  to 
help  Jesus  to  carry  His  cross !  He  was  sanctified  by  doing 
so,  and  now  he  is  praised  in  the  whole  world. 

The  weeping  women.  Not  all  who  accompanied  Jesus 
were  His  enemies  on  His  way  to  death.  Among  the  great 
number  of  the  wicked  there  were  also  some  good  persons 
who  had  compassion  on  Jesus.  Who  were  they  ?  How  did 
those  women  show  their  compassion?  They  wept  aloud 
and  shed  many  tears  over  Jesus.  That  was  good  on  their 
part. 

Veronica.  Another  woman  was  standing  along  the  way 
when  Jesus  passed.  She  saw  how  drops  of  sweat  ran  down 
the  bloody  face  of  Jesus.  This  greatly  moved  her  to  com- 
passion. She  pushed  her  way  through  the  soldiers,  knelt 
down  before  Jesus,  handed  to  Him  a  white  cloth,  which 
she  used  as  a  veil,  that  Jesus  might  wipe  away  the  sweat 


164  APOSTLES'  CREED 

and  blood  from  His  face.  That  was  a  good  act  on  the 
part  of  Veronica.  Jesus  kindly  took  the  veil,  wiped  His 
face  with  it,  and  gave  it  back  to  Veronica.  And  there 
was  impressed  on  that  veil  the  picture  of  our  Saviour's 
face.     Thus  did  Jesus  reward  her  loving  compassion. 

The  Mother  of  Jesus.  The  Mother  of  Jesus  was  wait- 
ing at  a  certain  place  to  see  Jesus  carrying  His  cross  pass 
by.  She  wished  to  see  her  beloved  Son,  and  remain  near 
Him  till  His  death  and  die  with  Him.  And  now  she  sees 
Jesus  coming  with  the  cross  on  His  shoulder,  tired  and 
worn  out,  staggering  and  bleeding.  Oh,  how  great  a  sorrow 
was  in  her  heart,  when  she  beheld  her  divine  Son  in  so 
wretched  a  state!  It  seemed  to  her  that  she  felt  seven 
swords  piercing  her  heart.  She  would  gladly  have  gone 
to  her  Son  to  speak  a  few  words  with  Him.  But  the  sol- 
diers would  not  let  her  pass.  Then  she  held  out  her  arms 
towards  Jesus,  and  Jesus  remarked  that  His  Mother  was 
there.  And  Jesus  and  Mary  looked  at  each  other  with  un- 
speakable compassion,  sadness  and  love.  Mary,  weeping, 
followed  her  Son. 

Explanation  and  Application  —  The  sins  of  all  man- 
kind made  the  cross  of  Jesus  so  heavy.  How  heavily  does 
the  cross  press  on  Jesus !  Three  times  He  fell  down  under 
its  weight.  And  do  you  know  what  made  His  cross  so 
heavy?  The  sins  of  all  men.  They  are  so  many,  that  no 
one  could  count  them.  If  they  were  made  into  a  tower, 
they  would  reach  from  earth  to  heaven.  The  big  mountain 
of  the  sins  of  mankind  pressed  on  the  cross  of  Jesus.  No 
wonder  He  fell  three  times  under  His  cross ! 

Thanks.  Our  Saviour  carried  His  cross  loaded  with  all 
the  sins  of  men,  in  order  to  redeem  all  men.  We  can 
never  thank  Jesus  enough  for  this.  We  thank  Him  every 
time  we  recite  the  fourth  decade  of  the  sorrowful  mysteries 
of  the  rosary.  Let  us  think  on  this,  and  recite  it  with 
devotion. 

The  Way  of  the  Cross.     The  way  Jesus  passed  along 


JESUS  CARRIES  HIS  CROSS  165 

carrying  His  cross  on  His  shoulder,  starts  from  the  house 
of  Pilate  and  ends  at  Mount  Calvary.  It  is  over  a  mile 
long.  Later  on  the  Mother  of  Jesus  and  the  apostles  made 
the  way  of  the  cross,  stopping  a  little  at  those  places  on 
the  way  where  something  remarkable  had  happened  to 
Jesus ;  for  instance,  where  Jesus  fell  the  first  time  under  the 
cross.  There  they  would  stop  and  reflect  how  greatly  He 
suffered  there,  and  how  the  sins  of  men  had  prepared  those 
sufferings  for  Him.  Then  they  would  compassionate  with 
Jesus,  saying  in  their  heart:  "We  would  rather  die  than 
commit  a  sin."  After  that  they  would  go  to  the  next 
station.  Where  Jesus  met  His  Mother,  they  stopped  again, 
and  so  on,  till  they  finished  the  way  of  the  cross  at  the 
sepulchre,  where  Jesus  was  buried.  Altogether  they 
stopped  and  reflected  fourteen  times.  Those  fourteen 
places  are  called  Stations.  (Ask  appropriate  questions  on 
the  foregoing.) 

Later  on  at  each  station  a  picture  was  placed,  on  which 
was  painted  what  happened  there  to  Jesus.  Soon  people 
went  there  from  every  country  in  the  world  to  make  the 
Way  of  the  Cross,  where  Jesus  had  made  it.  The  people 
would  look  at  the  pictures  and  think  on  them,  pray  de- 
voutly before  them,  and  thank  Jesus  for  all  He  had  suf- 
fered for  them.  And  now  the  Fourteen  Stations  are  in 
nearly  every  church  in  the  world.  And  you  sometimes  see 
people  going  from  one  picture  to  another,  look  at  each, 
and  then  kneel  down  and  pray.  This  is  called  making  the 
Way  of  the  Cross.     This  greatly  pleases  our  Saviour. 

You  children  also  can  make  the  Way  of  the  Cross.  Do 
it  in  this  way.  First  kneel  before  the  altar  and  say : 
"  Dear  Saviour,  Thou  didst  make  the  bitter  way  of  the 
cross  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world ;  and  also  for  my 
sins.  I  am  sorry  for  my  sins.  O  Jesus,  forgive  me.  I 
will  now  for  the  love  of  Thee  make  the  Way  of  the  Cross." 
Then  go  to  the  First  Station.  Look  at  the  picture,  and 
think  a  little  while  on  what  it  shows  that  Jesus  suffered ; 


1 66  APOSTLES'  CREED 

then  recite  devoutly  one  Our  Father.  Then  go  to  the  next 
Station  and  do  the  same  there;  do  this  until  you  have 
finished  the  fourteenth  (last)  Station.  Now  tell  me  how 
you  can  easily  make  the  Way  of  the  Cross.  Which  of  you 
will  make  it?  You  will  then  find  out  how  happy  you  will 
feel  in  your  heart,  whenever  you  make  the  Way  of  the 
Cross  with  devotion.  A  child  that  likes  to  make  the  Way 
of  the  Cross  will  surely  go  to  heaven. 

36.  Jesus  is  crucified. 

Object.     I  will  relate  to  you  how  Jesus  was  crucified. 

Relation.  Jesus  reached  Mount  Calvary  about  noon. 
The  soldiers  gave  Him  wine  mixed  with  gall.  Jesus  tasted 
it,  but  would  not  drink  it.  Then  they  crucified  Him. 
With  Jesus  they  crucified  two  criminals,  the  one  on  His 
right  hand,  and  the  other  on  His  left,  and  Jesus  in  the 
middle.  After  this  the  soldiers  took  the  clothes  of  Jesus, 
and  divided  them  into  parts,  one  for  each  soldier.  The 
woven  tunic,  which  had  no  seam,  they  would  not  divide; 
they  cast  lots  for  it.  Then  they  sat  down  and  watched 
Jesus.  Our  Saviour  hung  on  the  cross  for  three  hours. 
The  chief  priests  and  many  Jews  mocked  and  reviled  Jesus, 
saying:  "If  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God,  come  down  from 
the  cross.  He  helped  others,  but  He  cannot  help  Himself !  " 
But  Jesus  prayed :  "  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know 
not  what  they  are  doing." 

At  noon  the  sun  was  eclipsed  and  a  great  darkness  came 
over  the  earth,  which  lasted  three  hours.  Then  Jesus  said : 
"  It  is  consummated."  Not  long  after  Jesus  cried  out  with 
a  loud  voice :  "  Father,  into  Thy  hands  I  commend  My 
spirit ;  "  and  then  He  bent  down  His  head  and  gave  up 
His  spirit.  And  now  the  earth  trembled,  the  rocks  split, 
graves  opened  and  the  bodies  of  many  of  the  holy  dead 
arose.  The  captain  and  the  soldiers  watching  our  Lord 
got  frightened  and  said:     "Truly  this  man  was  just;  He 


JESUS  IS  CRUCIFIED  167 

was  the  Son  of  God."  And  all  the  people  struck  their 
breasts  and  returned  in  silence  to  Jerusalem. 

Explanation  —  The  wine  with  myrrh.  On  what  day 
was  Jesus  condemned  to  be  crucified,  and  was  led  to  the 
place  of  execution?  At  what  hour  did  He  reach  Calvary? 
Our  Saviour  was  exceedingly  tired,  deathly  pale  and  cov- 
ered with  perspiration.  What  did  the  soldiers  give  to  Jesus 
to  drink?  With  what  was  the  wine  mixed?  Who  knows 
how  gall  tastes?  The  bitter  wine  was  intended  to  prevent 
Jesus  from  feeling  His  pains  so  much.  Some  good  women 
had  sent  Him  the  wine.  But  what  did  our  Lord  not  wish  ? 
He  did  not  wish  to  be  insensible  to  pain,  but  to  suffer  all 
the  fearful  pains  of  the  crucifixion.  But  He  also  wished 
to  please  the  good  women  who  had  sent  Him  the  wine. 
Therefore  He  tasted  it. 

Our  Saviour's  clothes  taken  off.  Then  the  soldiers  took 
off  His  clothes  very  roughly.  But  His  clothes  stuck  to 
His  wounded  body.  What  then  happened  to  His  wounds? 
They  were  opened  again.  Did  that  hurt  Jesus  very  much? 
It  hurt  Him  like  a  fresh  scourging,  for  His  blood  again 
flowed  all  over  His  body  and  made  it  all  red. 

Jesus  nailed  to  the  cross.  Now  the  soldiers  gather 
around  Jesus,  and  the  most  terrible  thing  is  going  to  be 
done.  The  executioners  stretched  out  their  hands  to  lay 
hold  of  Jesus.  You  may  imagine  how  the  heart  of  Jesus 
must  have  beaten  out  of  dread.  But  He  allowed  the  ex- 
ecutioners to  lay  Him  down  on  the  cross.  What  a  hard 
bed  it  was,  especially  for  the  sore  back  of  Jesus !  And 
yet  how  touching  it  was  to  see  Him  lying  on  it!  Now 
one  of  the  executioners  kneels  on  the  breast  of  Jesus ; 
another  on  His  right  arm ;  a  third  takes  hold  of  His  right 
hand  and  lays  it  on  the  arm  of  the  cross,  and  with  a  ham- 
mer drives  a  big  sharp  nail  through  the  Saviour's  right 
hand  into  the  cross.  A  trembling  passes  through  every 
part  of  our  Lord's  body.  The  blood  squirts  out  from  His 
hand,  and  His  fingers,  through  pain,  close  up  around  the 


1 68  APOSTLES'  CREED 

nail.  The  same  happens  with  the  nailing  of  the  left  hand 
to  the  other  arm  of  the  cross.  Hot  tears  pour  out  from 
the  eyes  of  Jesus,  and  He  weeps  aloud.  Now  is  the  turn 
of  the  feet.  Pain  had  cramped  up  His  feet.  The  execu- 
tioners roughly  stretched  His  legs  and  nailed  His  feet  to 
the  cross;  the  bones  cracked  while  the  nails  cut  their  way 
between  them !  How  terrible  that  pain !  At  last  our 
Saviour  is  nailed  to  the  cross;  His  body  is  fearfully 
stretched  on  it.  His  face  is  deathly  pale,  and  covered  with 
blood.  His  whole  body  is  red  with  blood,  and  blood  streams 
from  His  hands  and  feet. 

The  raising  of  the  cross.  The  cross  is  now  raised  by 
means  of  ropes,  poles  and  ladders.  The  cross  staggers  for 
some  moments,  rises  a  little,  staggers  again,  rises  a  little 
more ;  after  some  more  staggering  it  is  up  and  with  a  fright- 
ful jerk  its  foot  falls  into  the  hole  prepared  for  it,  and 
the  sufferings  of  Jesus  in  His  hands  and  feet  are  increased. 
The  hole  is  then  filled  with  ground,  and  the  cross  is  up 
and  stands  fast  in  its  place. 

Jesus  hangs  on  the  cross.  The  cross  of  salvation  is 
now  erected  for  the  first  time  on  earth.  On  it  hangs  the 
Son  of  God  between  heaven  and  earth.  His  head  is  cov- 
ered with  the  crown  of  thorns.  Jesus  cannot  move.  The 
blood  from  the  crown  of  thorns  continues  to  flow  and 
trickles  down  into  His  eyes  and  mouth.  And  from  His 
hands  and  feet  streamlets  of  blood  run  over  His  arms  and 
down  the  cross  to  the  ground. 

Who  were  crucified  with  Jesus?  In  what  order  were 
the  crosses  placed?  Jesus  was  placed  in  the  middle,  as  if 
He  were  the  worst  of  criminals. 

When  the  cross  was  raised,  the  chief  priests  and  scribes 
yelled  for  joy !  They  rejoiced  like  devils,  and  all  hell  re- 
joiced with  them.  They  thought :  "  We  have  got  Jesus 
at  last !     He  shall  no  more  escape  us.     Now  He  must  die." 

Compassion  of  friends  under  the  cross.  There  were  also 
friends  of  Jesus  standing  under  the  cross :     St.  John  and 


JESUS  IS  CRUCIFIED  169 

Mary,  the  sister  of  Lazarus,  and  other  pious  women. 
Weeping  they  raised  their  hands  towards  Jesus,  and  looked 
at  Him  full  of  grief  and  love.  Also  the  Mother  of  Jesus 
stood  under  the  cross,  that  bed  on  which  her  Son  and 
her  God  was  dying!  Oh,  how  much  she  suffered  near 
that  terrible  death-bed  of  Jesus !  Mary  and  Jesus  looked 
at  each  other's  eyes,  and  spoke  together  in  silence  with 
their  looks.  What  a  love!  What  a  sorrow!  Because 
Mary  underwent  so  great  a  sorrow  at  her  Son's  death, 
she  is  called  the  Mother  of  Sorrows. 

Division  of  the  clothes  of  Jesus.  How  many  soldiers 
led  Jesus  to  execution  and  helped  to  crucify  Him?  These 
four  soldiers  took  possession  of  the  clothes  of  Jesus ;  His 
shoes,  a  girdle,  an  upper  garment,  an  inner  one,  and  a 
cloak.  What  did  the  soldiers  do  with  the  clothes,  so  that 
each  one  should  get  as  much  as  any  of  the  others?  They 
divided  them  so  that  he  who  got  the  shoes,  got  also  a  piece 
of  the  upper  garment ;  and  he  who  got  the  girdle,  got  also 
a  piece  of  the  cloak.  The  four  parts  were  equal  in  value. 
The  under  garment  was  left.  This  garment  the  Blessed 
Virgin  had  woven  herself  as  a  single  piece  without  seam. 
The  soldiers  would  not  cut  it  into  pieces,  for  it  was  too 
good  to  be  cut  up.  Only  one  of  them  was  to  get  it.  They 
threw  dice  to  see  who  would  get  the  largest  number,  for 
the  largest  number  would  win  the  inner  garment.  This 
was  the  way  in  which  they  cast  lots  for  it.  Did  the  sol- 
diers then  go  away?  How  long  did  they  remain  on  Mount 
Calvary?  Until  Jesus  died.  At  what  hour  of  the  day  did 
He  die? 

Jesus  reviled  and  mocked.  In  the  meantime  what  were 
the  chief  priests  and  the  other  Jews  doing  to  Jesus?  They 
made  fun  of  Jesus  and  insulted  Him.  They  would  not 
give  Him  a  moment  of  rest  or  let  Him  die  quietly.  Wre 
must  never  make  fun  of  an  unfortunate  person.  That 
gives  him  fearful  pain.  Much  less  should  we  make  fun 
of  a  person  dying.     How  did  the  chief  priests  and  Jews 


lyo  APOSTLES'  CREED 

revile  and  insult  the  dying  Jesus ?  They  said:  "  Ah,  Thou 
Son  of  God,  show  now  what  Thou  canst  do:  come  down 
from  the  cross."  You  know  that  Jesus  could  easily  have 
come  down  from  the  cross,  if  He  had  wished.  Why? 
But  why  did  He  not  come  down?  What  else  did  they 
say  to  revile  Jesus?  But  Jesus  prayed  for  those  who  in- 
sulted Him.     What  did  He  say? 

The  eclipse  of  the  sun.  What  wonderful  thing  happened 
in  the  heavens  while  Jesus  was  hanging  on  the  cross?  At 
what  hour?  It  became  as  dark  as  the  darkest  night  over 
the  whole  earth.  The  birds  stopped  singing,  the  animals, 
greatly  frightened,  ran  about  and  hid  themselves.  The 
men  also  were  in  great  fear,  looked  at  the  heavens  to  see 
what  was  the  cause  of  the  darkness.  How  long  did  the 
darkness  last? 

Jesus  dies.  As  long  as  He  hung  on  the  cross,  Jesus  was 
praying  silently  to  His  heavenly  Father  for  all  men.  At 
last  He  had  suffered  enough.  He  raised  His  head  crowned 
with  thorns,  and  said:  "It  is  consummated"  (finished). 
What  was  consummated?  His  suffering.  He  had  finished 
all  that  His  Father  had  commanded  Him.  He  had  atoned 
for  the  sins  of  mankind.  Men  were  redeemed.  And  now 
for  the  last  time  on  the  cross  He  opens  His  lips.  What 
did  He  say  with  a  loud  voice?  "I  commend,"  that  is, 
I  give  up.  To  whom  did  He  give  up  His  soul?  How 
beautiful !  Jesus  knows  no  one  to  whom  He  would  rather 
give  up  His  soul  than  to  His  heavenly  Father.  What  did 
our  Saviour  then  do  with  His  head?  He  bowed  His  head. 
He  wished  to  give  a  signal  to  death,  as  if  He  said :  "  Now, 
death,  you  can  come;  I  will  now  die."  Then  Jesus  drew 
one  breath  more,  and  then  breathed  out  His  soul,  that  is, 
gave  up  His  soul.     Jesus  was  dead. 

The  tvonders  at  the  death  of  Jesus.  At  the  moment 
Jesus  died,  great  wonders  took  place.  What  were  these 
wonders?  What  did  the  earth  do?  It  trembled.  People 
thought  the  houses  would  fall  down,  and  ran  out  into  the 


JESUS  IS  CRUCIFIED  171 

streets  and  the  fields.  What  happened  to  many  large  rocks  ? 
They  split  like  wood  cut  with  an  axe.  Mount  Calvary  was 
split  in  two.  What  happened  to  some  graves?  Who  came 
out  of  the  graves? 

The  impression  made  by  these  wonders.  The  soldiers 
were  still  on  guard  around  the  cross.  Their  captain  was 
also  with  them.  He  was  very  near  the  cross  of  Jesus, 
and  looked  all  the  time  at  the  face  of  our  Saviour.  How 
did  the  captain  and  the  soldiers  feel  when  the  earth  trembled 
and  the  rocks  split?  Who  caused  these  wonders  to  take 
place  at  the  death  of  Jesus?  What  should  the  Jews  have 
concluded  from  these  wonders?  Who  made  the  right  con- 
clusion? What  did  they  say?  What  did  they  believe  about 
our  Saviour?  How  did  the  people  act?  On  what  did  they 
probably  reflect  when  they  went  home  in  silence? 

Further  Explanation  —  Tree  of  the  cross;  tree  of 
paradise.  The  Redeemer  hangs  dead  high  up  on  the  cross. 
The  cross  is  like  a  tree  with  two  dry  (withered)  branches. 
Our  bleeding  Saviour  is  the  red  fruit  on  the  tree  of  the 
cross.  The  tree  of  the  cross  reminds  us  of  another  tree, 
on  which  fruit  was  hanging.  Who  knows  which  tree  I 
mean?  The  tree  of  paradise.  What  command  had  God 
given  to  our  first  parents  concerning  that  tree?  What 
would  happen,  if  they  would  eat  of  its  fruit? 

All  men  lost.  How  did  they  obey  that  command  ?  What 
did  they  commit  by  their  disobedience?  What  did  their' 
sin  do  to  their  soul?  Where  could  they  no  longer  go? 
God  closed  heaven  to  men.  What  punishment  were  they 
to  undergo  after  their  death  ?  Where  would  their  soul  go  ? 
Who  inherited  their  sin  and  punishment?  Most  of  men 
have  also  committed  actual  sins,  personal  mortal  sins. 
Where  should  such  men  go  after  their  death?  To  hell, 
the  endless  punishment  due  to  their  sins. 

Our  Saviour  took  upon  Himself  the  sins  of  all  men. 
But  the  Son  of  God  undertook  to  wash  away  in  His  own 
blood  the  pains  of  hell  and  the  sins  of  all  men.     Therefore 


172  APOSTLES'  CREED 

He  took  upon  Himself  our  sins,  the  sins  of  all  men.  He 
was  so  overloaded  with  these  sins,  that  His  heavenly  Father 
saw  nothing  but  sins  when  He  looked  at  Him.  And  our 
Saviour  loaded  with  all  these  sins  allowed  Himself  to  be 
hanged  on  the  tree  of  the  cross  between  two  criminals,  as 
if  He  were  the  worst  of  criminals.  He  took  upon  Him- 
self all  the  sins  of  all  men.  And  let  us  see  how  He  atones 
for  them. 

Our  Saviour  atones  for  our  sins.  What  did  our  Saviour 
receive  by  being  nailed  to  the  cross  through  His  hands 
and  feet?  How  did  He  before  this  receive  many  wounds? 
His  wounds  pained  Him  very  much,  especially  those  in 
His  hands  and  feet.  The  big  nails  burned  Him  like  red 
hot  irons.  He  felt  as  if  there  came  from  every  one  of  His 
wounds  flames  of  fire.  He  felt  as  if  He  was  lying  in  the 
fire  of  hell,  for  His  pains  were  like  those  of  hell  itself. 
And  how  many  hours  did  He  suffer  all  this?  Three  hours. 
Whilst  He  is  hanging  on  the  cross,  what  flows  from  His 
wounds?  And  the  blood  of  Jesus,  thus  flowing  down  the 
tree  of  the  cross,  washes  the  sins  from  the  souls  of  men. 
Wrhat  happened  to  Jesus  when  all  His  blood  had  flowed  out 
of  His  wounds?     He  died. 

We  are  redeemed.  At  that  moment  heaven  was  opened 
again.  What  punishments  did  our  Saviour  atone  for  by 
His  pains?  What  did  He  wash  away  from  our  souls  with 
His  blood?  Now  we  have  been  freed  from  the  slavery  of 
sin  and  the  pains  of  hell.  And  what  is  now  open  to  men? 
Men  are  redeemed.  Oh,  how  lovely  is  Jesus  on  the  cross! 
Already  in  the  manger  He  was  lovely!  But  He  is  more 
lovely  to  us  with  His  wounds  on  the  cross.  He  loved  us 
and  washed  us  from  our  sins  with  His  blood. 

Summary.  No  one  could  have  obliged  Jesus  to  suffer 
death  for  us.  But  what  induced  Him  to  suffer  for  us? 
The  infinite  love  He  has  for  us  induced  Him  freely  to 
suffer  and  die  for  us,  in  order  to  redeem  and  save  us. 
Where    was    Jesus    crucified?     On    Mount    Calvary,    near 


JESUS  IS  CRUCIFIED  173 

Jerusalem.  How  long  did  He  hang  on  the  cross?  What 
did  Jesus  do  at  last  with  His  head?  Bowed  it  down. 
And  what  then  took  place?  He  died.  After  hanging  three 
hours  on  the  cross,  Jesus  at  last  bowed  His  head  and  died. 
Let  us  repeat  what  Jesus  suffered  for  us.  What  did  He 
suffer  in  the  Garden  of  Olives?  Agony  and  a  bloody  sweat. 
What  then  happened  to  Him?  He  was  arrested,  scourged, 
crowned  with  thorns,  and  finally  nailed  to  the  cross. 

Application  —  Holy  Week.  On  which  two  days  did 
Jesus  suffer  all  this  for  us?  On  which  day  did  He  die 
for  us?  Good  Friday  is  the  day  on  which  our  Saviour 
died.  When  the  father  dies,  the  children  are  sad.  The 
day  of  his  death  is  for  them  a  day  of  sadness  and  mourn- 
ing. So  is  the  Friday,  on  which  our  Saviour  died,  a  day 
of  mourning  for  all  men.  That  Friday  is  called  Good 
Friday ;  it  is  called  Good,  because  on  that  day  Jesus  re- 
deemed us  from  sin  and  hell.  On  Maundy  Thursday  the 
bells  stop  ringing  and  the  organ  becomes  silent. 

Abstinence.  The  last  two  (three)  days  of  Holy  Week 
are  days  of  abstinence  from  flesh  meat.  Why?  Because 
Jesus  suffered  for  us.  And  because  Jesus  died  on  a  Friday, 
we  are  not  allowed  to  eat  meat  on  Fridays  during  the  whole 
year,  except  on  the  feasts  of  obligation  that  fall  on  a 
Friday  (Pope  Pius  X.). 

Veneration  of  the  cross.  On  Good  Friday  a  picture  of 
our  Lord  on  the  cross,  called  a  crucifix,  is  exposed  for 
the  veneration  of  the  faithful.  The  people  go  to  that 
crucifix,  kneel  down  before  it,  pray  to  and  thank  our 
Saviour  for  dying  on  the  cross  for  us,  and  then  they  kiss 
our  Saviour's  wounds  on  the  crucifix.  You  children 
should  do  this  as  well  as  the  grown  people.  Therefore, 
like  them,  kneel  before  the  crucifix,  pray  to  Jesus  crucified 
and  thank  Him  for  dying  for  you,  and  devoutly  kiss  our 
Saviour's  wounds.  The  crucifixion  is  the  fifth  sorrowful 
mystery  of  the  rosary.  In  the  house  of  every  Catholic 
there  should  be  a  crucifix.     There  is  one  in  every  church, 


174  APOSTLES'  CREED 

on  every  altar.  Whenever  you  see  a  crucifix,  think  how 
Jesus  died  on  the  cross  for  us.  Pious  people  love  to  pray 
to  Jesus  before  a  crucifix,  and  this  is  very  pleasing  to 
Jesus.  Thank  Jesus  for  dying  for  you  on  the  cross,  and 
say  to  Him :  "  My  dear  Jesus,  I  thank  Thee  for  dying 
on  the  cross  for  me.  May  Thy  blood  not  be  shed  in  vain 
for  me." 

The  passion  of  Jesus  should  not  be  in  vain.  Our  Saviour 
died,  indeed,  for  each  one  of  us.  And  yet  it  might  happen 
that  some  of  you  will  be  condemned  to  hell.  Why  are 
some  persons  condemned  to  hell?  It  is  not  the  fault  of 
Jesus ;  it  is  their  fault ;  on  account  of  their  sins,  of  which 
they  do  not  and  will  not  repent,  Jesus  died  in  vain  for 
them.  In  vain  He  suffered  for  them,  in  vain  He  shed  His 
blood  for  them,  in  vain  He  died  on  the  cross  for  them. 
It  would  be  the  greatest  possible  misfortune  to  be  of  the 
number  of  those  persons !  Our  Saviour  can  help  a  child 
never  to  commit  a  mortal  sin ;  He  can  help  a  child  who 
has  committed  a  mortal  sin  to  be  really  sorry  for  it,  and 
He  will  pardon  the  child  who  is  really  sorry  for  his  mortal 
sins.  Such  a  child  will  go  to  heaven.  For  such  a  one 
the  sufferings  and  blood  of  Jesus  are  not  in  vain.  Often 
pray  to  Jesus :  "  I  thank  Thee,  O  Lord,  for  having  died 
for  me.  Let  not  Thy  sufferings  and  Thy  blood  be  lost  for 
me." 

Everything  for  the  love  of  Jesus.  You  can  thank  Jesus 
also  in  this  way :  "  My  dearest  Jesus,  Thou  hast  done  all 
for  the  love  of  me ;  I  wish  to  do  also  all  for  the  love  of 
Thee."  When  you  work,  when  you  study,  when  you  find 
it  hard  to  obey,  when  you  suffer  pain  or  are  sick,  say: 
"  O  Jesus,  all  for  the  love  of  Thee."  If  you  do  this,  your 
whole  life  belongs  to  Jesus,  you  live  for  Jesus. 

At  the  Elevation.  When  Jesus  is  raised  up  by  the  priest 
at  the  Elevation  of  the  Mass,  it  is  as  if  He  was  dying  on 
the  cross  for  us.  Then  you  should  love  Him  so  much, 
that  you  would  be  ready  to  die  for  Him.     You  ought  then 


JESUS  PIERCED  AND  BURIED  175 

to  say  to  Him :     "  O  Jesus,  for  Thee  I  live,  for  Thee  I 
die.     I  am  all  Thine  in  life  and  in  death." 


37.  The  dead  Body  of  Jesus  is  pierced  and  buried. 

Object.  I  will  tell  you  to-day  what  was  done  with  the 
body  of  Jesus  after  His  death. 

Relation.  Towards  evening  one  of  the  soldiers  opened 
the  side  of  Jesus  with  a  spear  (lance).  Blood  and  water 
immediately  flowed  out  of  it.  Then  two  members  of  the 
Great  Council  of  the  Jews  took  the  body  of  Jesus  down 
from  the  cross,  wrapped  it  up  in  fine  linen  and  laid  it  in 
a  new  grave  cut  out  of  a  rock.  They  then  covered  the 
entrance  with  a  large  heavy  stone.  The  next  day  the  chief 
priests  sealed  the  stone,  and  placed  a  guard  of  soldiers  over 
the  grave. 

Explanation.  How  long  did  Jesus  hang  on  the  cross 
before  dying?  What  happened  to  the  sun  when  Jesus  was 
hanging  on  the  cross?  After  the  death  of  Jesus  the  sky 
became  gradually  clear,  and  the  evening  sun  cast  gloomy 
rays  through  the  clouds  on  the  Redeemer's  dead  body 
hanging  on  the  cross.  Where  are  dead  bodies  placed? 
In  graves.  But  not  immediately ;  they  are  usually  kept 
a  day  or  two  before  being  buried.  A  dead  body  is  called 
a  corpse.  The  dead  body  of  Jesus  was  buried  the  same 
evening.  A  Roman  soldier  wished  to  see  if  Jesus  was 
really  dead.  What  did  he  do  to  find  it  out?  With  what 
did  he  pierce  the  side  of  Jesus?  A  spear,  or  lance,  is  a 
weapon  with  a  long  handle  or  pole,  having  a  sharp  piece 
of  steel  at  the  end.  With  this  spear  the  soldier  struck  the 
side  of  Jesus  so  hard,  that  the  sharp  piece  of  steel  went 
through  His  breast  deep  into  His  very  heart.  When  he 
drew  out  his  spear  there  was  a  large  and  deep  wound  in 
the  side  of  Jesus,  out  of  which  Jesus  shed  the  last  drops 
of  His  blood.  Jesus  was  then  really  dead.  How  many 
large  wounds  were  there  now  in  the  body  of  Jesus  ?    They 


176  APOSTLES'  CREED 

are  called  the  Five  Sacred  Wounds  of  Jesus.  Which  was 
the  largest?  The  wound  in  His  side.  It  was  so  large 
that  a  man  could  put  his  hand  inside  of  it.  It  was  wide 
open,  and  through  it  the  heart  of  Jesus  could  be  seen. 
Why  did  the  soldier  open  or  pierce  the  side  of  Jesus? 
The  wound  in  the  side  of  Jesus  is  like  an  open  door  through 
which  we  can  reach  the  Heart  of  Jesus.  When  the  Blessed 
Virgin  saw  the  soldier  piercing  the  heart  of  Jesus  with 
his  spear,  she  cried  out  greatly  frightened. 

Jesus  is  taken  down  from  the  cross.  Now  Mary  would 
have  wished  to  take  down  the  body  of  her  divine  Son  from 
the  cross  and  bury  it.  But  she  was  not  able  to  do  it. 
Who  came  to  help  her?  Two  influential  members  of  the 
Great  Council.  One  was  Joseph,  of  the  town  of  Arimathea, 
and  the  other  Nicodemus  of  Jerusalem.  They  bought  fine 
white  sheets  of  linen  and  plenty  of  aromatic  (sweet  smell- 
ing) spices,  and  went  to  Mount  Calvary.  Mary  was  very 
glad  when  she  saw  them  coming  to  her  assistance.  They 
first  knelt  devoutly  before  the  cross  to  adore  their  dead 
Saviour.  Then  they  placed  ladders  against  the  cross,  and 
went  up  on  them.  One  of  them  pulled  out  the  nails  from 
the  hands  and  feet  of  Jesus.  He  kissed  the  nails  and 
handed  them  down  below.  The  other  received  in  the  linen 
sheet  the  body  of  Jesus,  holding  it  tight.  Then  both  car- 
ried it  down  from  the  cross  with  great  reverence.  They 
spoke  only  what  was  necessary,  and  in  a  whisper,  as  if 
they  were  in  church. 

The  Saviour's  dead  body  in  His  Mother's  lap.  Mary 
sat  down  on  a  mat,  and  both  men  slowly  and  carefully 
laid  the  body  of  Jesus  in  her  lap.  The  Infant  of  Beth- 
lehem lies  again  in  His  Mother's  lap.  Mary,  holding  Him 
by  the  neck,  kisses  Him,  and  lays  her  face  long  on  His 
face;  then  she  draws  His  head  to  her  breast,  just  as  if 
He  was  asleep.  But,  alas !  He  is  dead.  His  lovely  face 
is  pale,  swollen  and  bloody.  Mary  can  hardly  recognize 
it.     His  eyes  are  closed  in  death.     His  arms  are  rigid  and 


JESUS  BURIED  177 

stiff.  His  head  is  pierced  with  thorns.  His  right  shoulder 
is  badly  bruised  from  carrying  the  cross.  The  hands  and 
feet  bear  the  cruel  marks  of  the  nails.  And  in  His  side 
there  is  a  wide,  deep  wound  reaching  into  His  very  heart. 
Mary  saw  and  considered  all.  She  felt  as  if  she  had  had  her 
heart  suddenly  pierced  by  seven  sharp  swords,  and  as  if 
she  would  have  to  die  of  grief.  Who  has  seen  a  picture 
of  Mary  holding  her  dead  Jesus  in  her  lap? 

Mary  cared  for  the  body  of  Jesus.  Mary  first  removed 
tenderly  the  crown  of  thorns  from  the  head  of  Jesus. 
Then  she  washed  His  head  and  face.  She  washed  also 
the  bloody  wounds  in  His  shoulder  and  in  His  back,  and 
His  pierced  hands  and  feet.  Lastly  she  combed  His  hair 
and  poured  on  it  some  sweet-scented  ointment. 

The  embalming.  Jesus  was  now  to  be  buried.  Joseph 
and  Nicodemus  wrapped  His  body  in  the  winding  sheet, 
placing  all  around  the  body  inside  the  sheet  plenty  of  sweet 
aromatic  herbs  and  spices.  This  they  did,  in  order  to 
prevent  the  body  from  corrupting  and  emitting  stench. 

The  burial.  They  then  carried  the  body  of  Jesus  to  the 
grave.  The  graves  of  the  Jews  were  different  from  ours, 
as  I  have  already  explained  to  you,  when  I  related  to  you 
the  resurrection  of  Lazarus.  What  did  I  say  about  his 
grave?  People  could  go  into  it  as  in  a  little  room.  Some- 
times several  corpses  were  placed  in  one  grave.  Our 
Saviour's  grave  was  like  that  of  Lazarus,  cut  out  of  a  rock. 
No  corpse  had  yet  been  laid  in  that  grave.  What  was  it, 
therefore,  called?  A  new  grave.  The  grave  was  in  a 
garden  near  Mount  Calvary,  belonging  to  Joseph  of  Ari- 
mathea.  He  had  got  the  grave  made  for  himself,  for  he 
wished  to  be  buried  in  it  after  his  death.  Into  this  grave 
the  body  of  Jesus  was  carried  by  Joseph  and  Nicodemus. 
The  Blessed  Virgin,  St.  John  and  the  holy  women  followed 
the  body  of  our  Lord.  In  the  grave  our  Saviour's  body 
was  gently  and  reverentially  laid  in  a  coffin  of  stone.  His 
body,  though  full  of  wounds,  no  longer  bled.     The  sweet- 


178  APOSTLES'  CREED 

scented  herbs  and  spices  spread  an  agreeable  odor.  Out- 
side the  grave  there  grew  palm-trees,  shrubs  and  flowers ; 
and  the  garden  was  already  full  of  blooming  spring  flowers. 

Taking  leave  of  the  dead  Saviour.  The  holy  Mother 
of  Jesus  entered  the  grave  to  take  a  last  look  on  the  body 
of  our  Saviour  now  lying  there  surrounded  by  so  many 
beautiful  flowers  and  blossoms.  She  bent  down  weeping 
over  the  body  of  Jesus  and  gave  it  a  last  kiss.  Then  the 
men  and  holy  women  also  entered  the  grave  to  adore  our 
Saviour  and  kiss  His  wounds. 

The  closing  of  the  grave.  The  entrance  of  the  grave 
was  now  closed  with  a  stone  so  large  that  it  could  not 
be  carried.  How  did  they  bring  it  and  place  it  against 
the  opening?  Then  they  went  away  sorrowful  and  silent. 
Their  eyes  were  red  from  much  weeping.  After  reaching 
home  they  thought  all  the  time  about  the  Saviour's  body 
in  the  grave. 

The  guard  over  the  grave.  The  chief  priests  were  still 
very  much  afraid.  They  feared  that  the  apostles  would 
come  in  the  night  and  carry  away  the  Saviour's  body,  and 
then  tell  everybody  that  Jesus  had  risen  from  the  dead. 
Therefore,  early  on  Saturday  morning  they  went  to  the 
grave  with  sixteen  soldiers.  The  soldiers  were  strictly  or- 
dered to  keep  a  close  watch  over  the  grave.  What  were 
the  soldiers,  therefore,  called?  Guards.  The  chief  priests 
said  to  the  guards :  "  Stay  here  day  and  night,  and  take 
good  care  that  no  one  comes  here  and  steals  the  body  of 
Jesus." 

The  sealing  of  the  large  stone.  But  this  was  not  enough 
for  the  chief  priests.  They  placed  a  sign  on  the  grave,  so 
that  no  one  could  move  the  stone  closing  the  grave  without 
its  being  found  out.  Who  knows  what  that  sign  was? 
What  did  they  do  to  the  stone?  Who  has  already  seen 
a  sealed  letter?  The  seal  is  placed  just  where  the  letter 
is  closed.  And  if  the  letter  is  opened,  what  happens  to 
the  seal?     The  seal  is  broken.     You  can  tell  by  the  seal  if 


THE  SACRED  HEART  OF  JESUS         179 

the  letter  was  opened.  Our  Saviour's  grave  could  not  be 
sealed  exactly  like  a  letter.  The  priests  placed  some  tape 
or  large  strings  around  the  large  stone  and  fastened  the 
ends  on  each  side  of  the  grave.  Now  how  could  they  find 
out,  if  somebody  had  opened  the  grave?  Why  did  the 
chief  priests  seal  the  grave  of  Jesus? 

Summary.  What  was  done  to  our  Saviour's  side  after 
His  death?  After  His  death  His  side  was  pierced  with 
a  spear.  And  after  that  what  happened  to  His  dead  body? 
The  dead  body  of  Jesus  was  taken  down  from  the  cross 
and  laid  in  the  grave. 

Explanation  and  Application  —  The  Most  Sacred 
Heart  of  Jesus.  Where  was  then  the  body  of  Jesus?  In 
the  grave.  The  sufferings  of  Jesus  were  all  over.  When 
did  He  shed  the  last  drops  of  His  blood?  When  His  side 
was  opened  with  a  spear.  What  could  be  seen  through 
the  opening  in  His  side?  His  Heart.  A  mother  often 
asks  her  child:  "Where  do  you  love  me?"  Where  does 
the  child  point?  To  his  heart.  Our  father  and  mother 
love  us  more  than  any  one  else.  But  our  Saviour  loves 
us  infinitely  more  than  they.  He  loves  us  so  much,  that 
He  shed  for  us  the  very  last  drop  of  blood  in  His  Heart. 
He  wished  also  to  show  us  His  most  loving  Heart.  There- 
fore He  allowed  His  side  to  be  opened  with  a  spear.  In 
many  pictures  you  can  see  the  Heart  of  Jesus,  and  Jesus 
pointing  to  it,  as  if  He  said  to  us:  "Oh,  see  this  Heart 
which  has  loved  men  so  much."  What  do  we  owe  to  our 
Saviour  for  His  love?  We  should  often  say:  "Sweet 
Heart  of  Jesus,  be  my  love." 

Our  gratitude  to  Jesus  for  His  love.  I  once  read  of 
a  fight  between  a  lion  and  a  large  snake.  The  snake  had 
enveloped  itself  around  the  lion  and  was  squeezing  him 
to  death.  But  a  knight  passing  by,  seeing  this,  pulled 
out  his  sword  and  cut  the  snake  in  two,  and  saved  the 
lion's  life.  How  do  you  think  the  lion  showed  his  grati- 
tude to  that  knight?     He  followed  the  knight  everywhere, 


180  APOSTLES'  CREED 

and  brought  him  deer  and  other  game  which  he  caught 
for  him.  He  never  left  the  knight.  Thus  you  can  see  how 
a  wild  beast  showed  his  gratitude  to  him  who  had  saved 
his  life.  If  you  do  not  wish  to  be  less  grateful  than  a 
wild  beast,  you  must  thank  our  divine  Saviour.  How  can 
you  show  your  gratitude  to  Him?  When  Blessed  Margaret 
Mary  was  still  a  child,  she  also  learned  that  our  Saviour 
had  suffered  so  much  on  the  cross.  She  therefore  had  a 
great  love  for  Jesus.  Seeing  a  crucifix  one  day  she  'wept 
and  kissed  it,  saying:  "Most  beloved  Jesus,  I  will  belong 
entirely  to  Thee."  Whenever  after  this  she  saw  a  crucifix, 
she  would  pray  before  it,  and  thank  Jesus  for  suffering 
so  much  for  her.  Dear  children,  accustom  yourselves  to 
think  on  our  loving  Jesus  and  His  bitter  passion,  espe- 
cially when  you  see  a  crucifix.  Think  on  it  whenever  you 
recite  these  words  of  the  Creed :  "  Suffered  under  Pontius 
Pilate,  died  and  was  buried,"  and  pronounce  these  words 
devoutly. 

Prayer  to  the  five  wounds  of  Jesus.  There  is  another 
prayer,  by  which  we  venerate  the  passion  of  our  Saviour; 
that  is  the  prayer  to  the  five  wounds  of  Jesus,  in  which 
we  say :  "  O  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  died  for  us  on  the 
cross,  through  the  wound  of  Thy  right  hand,  have  mercy 
on  us."  (Rehearse  this  with  the  children,  and  repeat  the 
prayer  for  each  of  the  other  wounds :  of  Thy  left  hand ; 
of  Thy  right  foot;  of  Thy  left  foot;  of  Thy  sacred  side.) 

38.  The  Soul  of  Jesus  goes  down  to  Limbo.    Jesus 
rises  from  the  dead. 

Object.  I  will  tell  you  to-day  where  the  soul  of  Jesus 
went  after  His  death. 

Relation.  When  the  soul  of  Jesus  left  His  body  it  went 
down  as  fast  as  lightning  to  Limbo,  where  the  souls  of 
those  were  who  had  already  died.  They  were  waiting  there 
for  the  coming  of  the  Redeemer.     The  soul  of  Jesus  re- 


JESUS  IN  LIMBO  181 

mained  three  days  with  them.     He  said  to  them:     "  I  have 
redeemed  mankind.     You  shall  soon  go  to  heaven." 

Explanation  —  Limbo.  What  leaves  man's  body  when 
he  dies  ?  The  soul ;  the  spirit.  What  did  Jesus  breathe 
forth  at  His  death?  His  soul.  Where  did  the  soul  of 
Jesus  go  when  He  died?  It  went  directly  and  quickly 
to  Limbo.  Limbo  was  a  place  under  the  ground,  anciently 
called  hell,  that  is,  a  lower  region.  It  was  not  the  hell 
where  the  devils  and  wicked  men,  who  are  dead,  suffer 
punishment.  In  Limbo  there  were  the  souls  of  good,  pious 
men,  such  as,  Adam  and  Eve,  Abel,  the  pious  shepherds, 
the  wise  men,  who  had  already  died ;  and  also  of  the  Holy 
Innocents  massacred  by  Herod  on  account  of  the  Infant 
Jesus.  Also  Simeon  and  Anna  were  there.  And  who  else? 
St.  Joseph,  the  foster-father  of  Jesus.  He  had  not  been 
dead  very  long.  All  these  persons  were  good  and  holy 
at  their  death.  How  do  we  call  them?  The  souls  of  the 
just.  Where  ought  these  souls  to  have  gone  after  their 
death?  To  heaven.  But  why  could  they  not  go  there? 
Heaven  was  then  closed.  They  had  to  wait  in  Limbo 
until  heaven  would  again  be  opened.  Some  of  those  souls 
had  spent  already  over  three  thousand  years  in  Limbo. 
They  had  no  pains  to  suffer  in  Limbo,  no  fire  as  there  is 
in  hell  or  purgatory.  But  they  were  not  allowed  to  see 
God.  You  can  imagine  how  these  souls  longed  for  heaven. 
Who  was  to  open  heaven  for  them?  They  could  hardly 
wait  until  the  Redeemer  would  come. 

Jesus  in  Limbo.  All  on  a  sudden  Limbo  became  very 
bright,  just  as  it  does  on  earth  when  the  sun  rises.  The 
soul  of  Jesus  was  there.  And  His  soul  was  surrounded 
by  very  many  angels.  Jesus  was  glorious  and  as  bright 
as  the  sun.  The  whole  of  Limbo  was  beautifully  lit  up 
by  Him.  Jesus  spoke  to  the  just:  "I  have  just  died  on 
the  cross  for  all  men;  now  heaven  is  opened,  and  you 
shall  all  leave  this  place  and  go  to  heaven."  You  may 
imagine  how  those  holy  souls  rejoiced.     They  all  knelt  full 


182  APOSTLES'  CREED 

of  joy  before  Jesus,  adored  and  thanked  Him.  Where 
did  the  soul  of  Jesus  go  after  His  death?  Who  were  in 
Limbo?  The  soul  of  Jesus  went,  after  His  death,  to  Limbo, 
where  were  the  souls  of  the  just  who  had  died.  There- 
fore we  say  in  the  Creed :  "  He  descended  into  hell." 
Mention  some  of  the  souls  that  were  there.  What  did 
Jesus  say  to  them?  How  long  did  the  soul  of  Jesus  re- 
main there? 

Object.  On  the  third  day  the  soul  of  Jesus  returned 
to  His  body,  and  Jesus  rose  from  the  dead,  as  I  will  now 
tell  you. 

Relation.  At  dawn  of  the  third  day  Jesus  rose  from 
the  dead  and  came  out  glorious  from  the  grave.  And  be- 
hold, there  took  place  a  great  earthquake,  and  an  angel 
came  down  from  heaven,  rolled  away  the  large  stone  from 
the  grave,  and  sat  on  it.  His  appearance  was  like  light- 
ning, and  his  garment  was  as  white  as  snow.  The  guards 
trembled  for  fear,  and  were  like  dead.  At  the  same  time 
pious  women  set  out  for  the  grave.  They  wished  to  em- 
balm Jesus.  When  they  arrived,  they  saw  the  grave  open. 
The  angel  said  to  them :  "  You  seek  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
who  was  crucified.  He  is  not  here ;  He  is  risen.  Make 
haste  and  tell  it  to  His  disciples  and  Peter." 

Explanation  —  The  body  and  soul  of  Jesus  again  united 
together.  The  third  day  after  the  death  of  Jesus  had  come. 
On  which  day  did  Jesus  die?  That  was  the  first  day. 
Which  day  comes  after  Good  Friday?  Holy  Saturday. 
That  was  the  second  day.  And  which  is  the  third  day? 
Easter  Sunday.  On  Easter  Sunday  the  soul  of  Jesus  re- 
turned from  Limbo.  Jesus  took  the  souls  of  the  just  along 
and  many  angels.  They  all  went  to  the  grave  of  Jesus. 
They  passed  through  the  large  stone  into  the  grave.  The 
body  of  Jesus  lay  there  as  if  asleep.  And  the  angels  knelt 
down  around  it  to  adore  it.  Jesus  showed  the  holy  souls 
His  wounded  and  torn  body.  They  all  shuddered  out  of 
holy  fear,  and  again  thanked  Jesus  for  the  sufferings  He 


JESUS  RISES  FROM  THE  DEAD         183 

had  endured  for  them.  Then  the  soul  of  Jesus  bent  over 
His  body  and  entered  it  and  entirely  penetrated  it  and 
thus  again  became  united  with  His  body. 

Jesus  rises  from  the  dead.  In  what  state  was  the  body 
of  Jesus  when  His  soul  had  left  it?  What  took  place  in 
the  body  of  Jesus,  when  His  soul  returned  into  it?  His 
members  began  to  move.  Jesus  freed  Himself  from  the 
sheets  around  Him  and  stood  up.  The  sun  had  not  yet 
risen.  What  begins  with  the  rising  of  the  sun?  The  day. 
But  before  the  sun  rises,  it  begins  already  to  be  light.  It 
was  just  then  that  Jesus  rose  from  the  dead.  That  time 
is  called  the  dawn  of  the  day.  When  did  Jesus  rise  from 
the  dead?    At  the  dawn  of  the  third  day,  Easter  Sunday. 

The  glorified  body  of  Jesus.  The  body  of  Jesus  was 
now  a  great  deal  more  beautiful  than  before.  It  was  as 
bright  as  the  sun  at  noon  on  a  clear  day.  The  whole  grave 
was  filled  with  a  dazzling  light.  The  eyes  of  Jesus  were 
like  two  lovely  morning  stars.  Instead  of  the  frightful 
crown  of  thorns,  there  was  a  bright  golden  ring  around 
the  forehead  of  Jesus.  His  hair,  like  shining  gold,  cov- 
ered His  neck  and  shoulders.  His  garments  glittered  from 
light  blue,  like  the  sky  in  sunshine,  to  the  beautiful  red 
of  sunrise  and  sunset.  It  was  a  wonderfully  pleasing 
sight.  The  wounds  made  by  the  scourging  were  no  longer 
visible.  Only  the  five  great  wounds  of  the  hands,  feet  and 
side  remained,  but  they  were  healed ;  they  were  as  beau- 
tiful as  roses,  and  were  shining  like  the  rays  of  the  sun. 

Jesus  had  a  new  and  wonderful  life.  He  no  longer 
needed  food  and  drink,  nor  to  walk  slowly  on  the  ground 
as  we  do.  Just  as  birds  take  flight  in  the  air  and  fly 
quickly  from  one  place  to  another,  so  Jesus  could  go  as 
fast  as  lightning  from  one  place  to  another.  His  body 
was  as  light  as  air.  He  was  transparent,  and  passed  like 
an  angel  through  walls  and  stones.  His  body  was  almost 
like  a  soul,  a  spirit.  Therefore  we  say:  "The  body  of 
Jesus  at  His  resurrection  was  transfigured  and  glorified." 


1 84  APOSTLES'  CREED 

In  what  state  was  the  body  of  Jesus,  when  He  rose  from 
the  dead?     Why  do  we  call  a  body  glorified? 

The  joy  of  Jesus  risen.  Oh,  how  happy  was  Jesus  in  His 
glorified  state!  It  was  now  a  joy  for  Him  to  be  the  Re- 
deemer. His  sufferings  and  torments  were  now  over,  and 
seemed  like  a  dream.  He  now  rejoiced  over  them,  and  His 
joy  has  no  end.  Now  our  Saviour  raises  His  hands  and 
eyes  towards  His  heavenly  Father.  He  now  wishes  to 
show  Himself  to  Him  in  His  glory;  and  in  exultation  He 
exclaims :  "  I  am  risen  from  the  dead."  And  it  seems  as 
if  the  heavenly  Father  turns  to  Jesus  and  says:  "Thou 
art  My  beloved  Son."  And  the  holy  souls  wondering 
praise  the  risen  Saviour  and  sing :  "  Alleluia.  This  is  the 
day  which  the  Lord  hath  made;  let  us  exult  and  rejoice 
in  it.  Alleluia.  Sing  to  the  Lord  a  new  hymn,  for  He 
hath  done  wonders."  Thus  was  the  resurrection  of  Jesus 
celebrated  already  in  His  grave. 

Jesus  comes  forth  from  the  grave.  And  now  Jesus  came 
out  of  the  grave.  With  what  was  the  grave  closed  ?  What 
had  the  chief  priests  done  to  the  stone?  And  whom  had 
they  placed  before  the  grave?  But  the  stone,  the  seal  and 
the  guards  could  not  keep  Jesus  in  the  grave.  What  hap- 
pened to  the  body  of  Jesus  when  the  soul  went  back  into 
it?  It  became  alive  again  and  also  glorified.  How  can 
a  glorified  body  come  out  of  a  closed  grave?  Also  the 
angels  and  the  souls  of  the  just  had  gone  in  and  out  of 
the  closed  grave,  and  the  soldiers  had  not  noticed  it.  They 
were  now  guarding  an  empty  grave.  They  would  soon 
find  it  empty.  Who  then  came  down  from  heaven  ?  What 
did  the  angel  do?  Now  everybody  could  look  into  the 
grave.  What  was  the  appearance  of  the  angel?  What 
other  wonder  took  place  ?  How  did  the  guards  get  fright- 
ened at  the  earthquake  and  at  the  appearance  of  the  angel  ? 
The  guards  after  a  while  regained  consciousness.  They 
got  up  and  looked  very  frightened  at  the  open  grave. 
Where  did  they  no  longer  wish  to  remain?     Where  did 


JESUS  APPEARS  TO  HIS  MOTHER       185 

they  go?  They  related  to  the  chief  priests:  "Jesus  rose 
this  morning  from  the  dead.  The  grave  is  open  and 
empty."  The  chief  priests  gave  money  to  the  guards,  say- 
ing to  them :  "  Keep  quiet  about  that,  and  do  not  tell 
any  one  that  Jesus  is  risen  from  the  dead.  Tell  the  people : 
We  fell  asleep  at  the  grave,  and  the  apostles  came  and 
stole  the  body  of  Jesus."     And  the  guards  obeyed  them. 

The  women  at  the  grave.  Who  went  out  early  in  the 
morning  to  the  grave?  What  did  those  pious  women  in- 
tend to  do?  We  lay  on  the  graves  of  our  friends  wreaths 
and  flowers ;  we  do  this  to  show  our  love  for  them.  How 
did  the  holy  women  wish  to  show  their  love  for  Jesus? 
They  wished  to  embalm  Him.  They  took  along  ointments, 
sweet  herbs  and  myrrh.  What  did  they  see  when  they 
came  to  the  grave?  They  were  frightened.  They  entered 
the  grave.  What  did  they  see  there?  The  angel  knew 
whom  they  were  seeking.  What  did  he  say  to  them? 
What  did  he  announce  to  them?  To  whom  should  they 
hasten  to  deliver  the  joyful  message?  You  can  easily 
imagine  how  happy  these  women  felt. 

Jesus  appears  to  His  Mother.  Immediately  after  His 
resurrection  Jesus  went  to  His  Mother.  She  knew  He 
would  rise  from  the  dead.  She  waited  the  whole  night 
for  Him.  She  had  decorated  her  little  room  with  flowers 
and  fine  plants.  Then  she  put  on  her  feast  day  dress,  and 
knelt  down  to  pray.  Not  very  long  after  midnight  she 
heard  a  sweet  hymn  sung  softly  as  by  heavenly  voices, 
and  her  room  became  so  full  of  light,  that  her  lighted 
lamp  seemed  as  if  it  was  not  lighted  at  all.  Our  Saviour 
was  there  with  many  angels  and  the  souls  of  the  just  from 
Limbo.  Jesus  greeted  His  Mother  very  affectionately. 
Mary  prostrated  herself  at  His  feet,  and  exclaimed  with 
joy:  "Is  it  Thou,  indeed,  my  dear  Son?"  Our  Saviour 
replied :  "  Yes,  beloved  Mother,  it  is  I.  I  have  risen  from 
the  dead,  and  have  come  to  tell  thee."  He  then  embraced 
her,  laid  His  face  on  hers,  and  pressed  her  to  His  heart. 


186  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Mary  then  looked  at  His  holy  glorified  body,  His  face  and 
His  hands.  Jesus  showed  her  His  wounds,  which  had  been 
so  dreadful,  but  which  now  were  so  shining  and  so  lovely. 
Mary  rejoiced  and  praised  God  for  giving  back  her  Son 
to  her. 

Explanation  —  The  combat  between  Jesus  and  the  devil. 
To  whom  did  men  belong  after  the  sin  of  our  first  parents  ? 
Our  Saviour  wished  to  rescue  men  from  the  devil.  How 
did  the  devil  hold  them  in  his  power?  Jesus  fought  the 
devil.  Soldiers  (in  certain  countries)  wear  a  helmet  to 
protect  their  head.  What  did  Jesus  allow  to  be  placed  on 
His  head?  The  crown  of  thorns  was  His  helmet.  Sol- 
diers have  a  sword  to  fight  with.  What  did  Jesus  have 
in  His  hand?  A  reed.  Soldiers  like  to  fight  on  horse- 
back. Our  Saviour  in  His  fight  was  hanging  on  the  cross. 
The  soldiers  in  battle  utter  their  war-cry.  What  did  Jesus 
do  on  the  cross?  He  prayed.  During  a  battle  when  the 
cavalry  mingle  in  the  fight  and  the  cannons  roar,  the  earth 
trembles.  What  happened  to  the  earth,  when  Jesus  was 
combating  the  devil?  There  was  a  great  earthquake. 
The  combat  was  terrible.  God  the  Father  looked  on  at- 
tentively from  heaven;  the  angels  listened  and  held  their 
breath.  The  devils  were  watching  the  result  of  the  battle. 
The  terrible  battle  lasted  three  hours,  and  Jesus  died. 
Where  was  His  body  laid?  People  would  think:  "O 
misfortune !  Jesus  is  dead,  the  devil  has  conquered." 
And  the  devil,  indeed,  cried  out,  "  Hurrah  !  "  He  thought : 
"  Jesus  is  dead  and  buried ;  a  big  stone  closes  His  grave ; 
He  can  never  get  out;  I  have  won  the  fight.  All  men 
now  belong  to  me.  No  one  shall  escape  me.  I  will  drag 
them  all  into  hell."     But  the  devil  rejoiced  too  soon. 

The  victory  of  Jesus  over  the  devil.  What  did  Jesus 
do  on  the  third  day?  He  rose  from  the  dead.  To  whom 
does  the  victory  now  belong?  What  a  terror  for  the  devil! 
Now  his  head  is  crushed.  How  did  Jesus  restore  life  to 
His  body?     He  re-united   His   soul   with   His  body.     He 


THE  RISEN  SAVIOUR  187 

raised  Himself  from  death  to  life!  Which  other  dead 
persons  did  He  raise  to  life?  That  Jesus  raised  them  to 
life  is  a  great  miracle  indeed;  but  that  He  raised  Himself 
to  life  is  the  greatest  of  miracles !  Who  raised  Himself 
to  life?     What  does  it  prove?    That  Jesus  is  God! 

The  victory  of  Jesus  over  death.  In  the  stable  of  Beth- 
lehem Jesus  was  born  as  a  little,  helpless  child.  There 
He  received  human  life,  which  lasts  only  for  a  time.  On 
Easter  Sunday  Jesus  received  His  new  life.  What  can 
no  longer  happen  to  Jesus?  Suffering  and  death.  Jesus 
rose  from  the  grave  glorious  and  immortal.  Because  He 
rose  from  the  dead,  we  also  shall  rise  one  day  from  the 
dead.  Now  death  is  only  a  temporary  sleep,  for  Jesus  has 
conquered  death. 

Picture.     Let  us  look  at  the  picture  of  the  resurrection. 

The  risen  Saviour.  What  do  we  see  on  His  head  ?  The 
crown  of  victory.  Wrhy  does  His  body  shine  so  beauti- 
fully? His  body  is  glorified.  What  do  you  see  in  the 
hands  and  feet  of  Jesus  ?  Why  do  you  see  no  other  wounds 
in  His  body?  What  does  our  Saviour  hold  in  His  hand? 
A  flag.  What  is  on  the  flag?  This  flag  shows  that  Jesus 
has  gained  the  victory.  He  who  conquers  in  a  difficult 
battle  is  called  a  hero.  What,  then,  is  our  Saviour? 
Whom  did  He  overcome?  Death  and  the  devil.  The  cross 
tells  us  that  Jesus  conquered  them  by  His  death  on  the 
cross. 

The  angels,  the  guards.  Who  else  are  seen  in  the  pic- 
ture? How  do  you  recognize  the  angel?  What  is  he  do- 
ing with  his  hands?  Why  does  he  kneel  with  joined 
hands?  In  what  position  are  the  guards?  Why  are  they 
lying  on  the  ground?  What  frightens  them?  Whom  did 
the  guards  not  see?  Only  angels  and  good  men  were  al- 
lowed to  see  the  glorious  risen  Saviour. 

The  grave.  Show  me  the  grave.  In  what  kind  of  place 
was  it?  It  is  now  open  and  empty.  Where  is  the  stone 
that  closed  it? 


188  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Summary.  What  did  Jesus  do  on  the  third  day  after 
His  death?  He  rose  glorious  from  the  dead.  The  Creed 
says:     "The  third  day  He  rose  again  from  the  dead." 

Application.  Because  Jesus  rose  from  the  dead,  we 
celebrate  a  great  feast  —  Easter  Sunday.  The  church  is 
beautifully  adorned.  Alleluia  is  heard  during  the  Mass. 
"  Jesus  is  risen,  alleluia."  We  thus  express  our  joy  that 
Jesus  rose  from  the  dead,  triumphing  over  His  enemies, 
and  opening  heaven  to  us.  Now  Jesus  reigns  forever. 
Therefore  heaven  and  earth,  angels  and  men  rejoice.  Chil- 
dren should  also  share  in  the  joy.  What  do  they  get  on 
Easter  Sunday?  You  surely  do  not  know  why  children 
get  eggs  on  Easter  Sunday.  I  will  tell  you.  An  egg 
contains  a  little  bird,  a  little  chicken.  When  the  time  of 
hatching  comes,  the  little  chicken  breaks  the  shell  with  its 
bill  and  comes  out  alive.  So  also  did  Jesus  come  out  alive 
from  the  closed  grave ;  and  so  shall  our  body  come  out 
alive  from  its  grave  on  the  last  day. 

39.  Jesus  appears  to  His  Disciples.    Jesus  ascends 

to  Heaven. 

Object.  I  will  now  relate  how  Jesus  showed  Himself 
to  His  disciples  after  His  resurrection. 

Relation.  After  His  resurrection  Jesus  remained  forty 
days  on  earth.  He  appeared  often  to  His  apostles,  and 
sometimes  to  His  other  disciples.  Once  five  hundred  of 
His  disciples  were  present.  He  wished  to  show  them  that 
He  was  really  risen  from  the  dead.  He  even  ate  and  drank 
with  them.  Moreover,  He  wished  yet  to  teach  many  things 
to  His  apostles. 

Explanation  —  The  apparitions  of  Jesus.  After  His 
resurrection  Jesus  could  have  immediately  returned  to 
heaven.  Mankind  was  already  redeemed.  But  Jesus 
wished  first  to  show  Himself  to  His  apostles.  One  even- 
ing they  were  all  together  in  a  room  in  Jerusalem.     For 


APPARITIONS  OF  JESUS  189 

fear  of  the  Jews  they  had  locked  the  doors.  All  at  once 
there  was  Jesus  standing  among  them.  How  did  He  get 
in?  Because  He  suddenly  stood  before  the  apostles,  we 
say :  "  He  appeared  to  them."  The  apostles  did  not 
know  where  He  came  from,  or  how  He  got  in.  But  how 
they  rejoiced  when  they  saw  Him!  They  would  have 
liked  Him  to  remain  with  them.  But  suddenly  He  was 
gone,  that  is,  He  disappeared  as  suddenly  as  He  had  come. 
At  one  time  how  many  of  His  disciples  were  present  when 
He  appeared  ?  Over  five  hundred.  On  some  occasions  He 
sat  at  table  with  the  apostles.  What  did  they  then  do? 
Ate  and  drank.  Our  Saviour  also  showed  them  His 
wounds.  Once  He  allowed  one  of  the  apostles  to  touch 
them,  to  put  his  finger  into  the  wounds  in  His  hands,  and 
his  hand  into  His  side.  In  this  manner  Jesus  appeared 
various  times  during  forty  days  to  His  disciples. 

Reason  of  the  apparitions  of  Jesus.  If  the  apostles  had 
not  seen  Jesus  after  His  resurrection,  they  would  prob- 
ably not  have  believed  that  He  was  risen  from  the  dead. 
Why  did  He  appear  so  often  to  them?  He  wished  to 
prove  clearly  that  He  was  risen  from  the  dead.  For  the 
same  reason  also  He  ate  and  drank  with  them,  showed 
them  His  wounds,  and  allowed  one  of  His  apostles  to  touch 
them.  But  Jesus  did  not  remain  on  earth  merely  to  show 
Himself  to  His  apostles.  He  also  taught  them  to  say 
Mass,  to  baptize  and  many  other  things,  because  they 
would  soon  have  to  go  to  preach  to  all  men  in  the  whole 
world.  At  last,  the  time  came  for  Jesus  to  return  to 
heaven. 

Object.  I  will  now  tell  you  how  Jesus  ascended  into 
heaven. 

Relation.  On  the  fortieth  day  after  His  resurrection 
Jesus  appeared  to  His  apostles  for  the  last  time.  They 
were  again  in  Jerusalem,  assembled  in  the  Supper  Room. 
Jesus  sat  down  at  table  with  them  and  explained  Holy 
Scripture  to  them.     Then   He  commanded  them :     "  Stay 


190  APOSTLES'  CREED 

in  the  city  until  you  are  endowed  with  power  from  above. 
And  then  go  forth  all  over  the  world  to  preach  to  Jews 
and  pagans."  Then  He  led  them  out  to  Mount  of  Olives. 
There  He  raised  His  hands  over  them  and  blessed  them. 
Whilst  He  was  blessing  them  He  was  lifted  up  heaven- 
ward in  their  presence,  entered  heaven  and  sat  at  the  right 
hand  of  God. 

The  apostles  adored  Jesus  and  gazed  at  Him  ascending 
until  a  cloud  concealed  Him  from  their  view.  Then  two 
angels  clothed  in  white  appeared  and  said :  "  You  men 
of  Galilee,  why  are  you  standing  here,  looking  up  to 
heaven?  This  same  Jesus,  who  has  been  taken  up  from 
among  you  into  heaven,  shall  come  again  in  like  manner, 
as  you  have  seen  Him  ascend."  And  the  apostles  re- 
turned with  great  joy  to  Jerusalem. 

Explanation  —  Jesus  appears  for  the  last  time.  Be- 
fore ascending  into  heaven,  Jesus  wished  to  take  leave  of 
His  apostles.  He  wished  on  that  occasion  to  eat  once 
more  with  them.  How  many  days  after  His  resurrection 
did  Jesus  ascend  into  heaven?  On  the  fortieth  day.  It 
was  a  Thursday.  Where  were  the  apostles  assembled? 
Jesus  sat  at  table  with  His  apostles.  He  sat  in  the  mid- 
dle, and  His  apostles  and  disciples  sat  around  Him.  The 
holy  women  also  were  there,  seated  at  another  table.  Next 
to  Jesus  was  His  Blessed  Mother.  She  wished  to  see  all 
that  our  Saviour  did,  and  hear  all  that  He  taught.  Jesus 
first  prayed  and  blessed  the  food.  Then  He  distributed 
the  food  to  each  one,  and  to  His  Blessed  Mother  and  the 
holy  women.  Whilst  eating,  Jesus  spoke  with  His  apos- 
tles, and  said  to  them :  '  The  time  has  now  come  for 
Me  to  return  to  My  Father  in  heaven.  I  will  prepare  in 
heaven  a  place  for  you  and  for  all  who  will  believe  in 
Me,  so  that  you  may  be  there  with  Me." 

Jesus  promises  the  Holy  Ghost.  When  the  apostles 
heard  that  they  would  not  see  Jesus  any  more  on  earth, 
they   felt  very   sad.     Many   of   them   wept.     They   would 


THE  ASCENSION  191 

have  liked  to  keep  the  Saviour  with  them.  Perhaps  they 
said :  "  O  dearest  Jesus,  stay  with  us.  When  Thou  art 
gone,  we  shall  be  all  alone  in  the  world,  like  poor  orphans 
without  a  father."  But  our  Saviour  consoled  them,  say- 
ing: "  If  I  go  not  to  the  Father,  you  shall  not  be  able 
to  go  to  Him.  Therefore  you  ought  to  rejoice,  that  I  go 
away  from  you.  Do  not  be  afraid.  Do  not  leave  Jeru- 
salem so  soon,  but  remain  together  waiting  and  praying." 
Where  should  the  apostles  remain?  And  what  should  they 
do?  Our  Saviour  would  send  them  the  Holy  Ghost.  The 
Holy  Ghost  would  come  down  from  heaven  upon  them, 
and  give  them  strength.  The  apostles  would  then  be  en- 
dowed by  Him  with  strength.  Where  would  the  Holy 
Ghost  come  from?  From  on  high.  In  this  way  they 
would  become  so  strong,  as  to  have  no  fear  of  any  one. 
How  long  should  the  apostles  remain  in  Jerusalem?  Until 
they  would  be  endowed  with  strength  from  on  high. 
What  should  the  apostles  then  do?  Go  all  over  the  world 
and  preach  the  Gospel  to  all  nations. 

On  the  way  to  Mount  of  Olives.  After  Jesus  had  said 
this,  they  all  rose.  Our  Saviour  took  His  Mother  by  the 
hand  and  placed  her  in  the  midst  of  the  apostles,  saying 
to  them :  "  My  Mother  is  henceforth  to  be  your  Mother. 
Love  her  very  much.  She  will  always  pray  for  you." 
Then  He  ordered  Peter  to  come  in  the  midst  of  the  apos- 
tles, and  said  to  them :  "  When  I  shall  have  ascended  into 
heaven,  Peter  shall  be  your  chief;  and  you  must  obey 
him."  Then  Jesus  said  to  all :  "  Come  to  see  Me  ascend- 
ing into  heaven." 

Where  did  Jesus  lead  His  apostles?  Many  of  the  dis- 
ciples also  went  along.  On  Mount  of  Olives  there  were 
other  disciples  waiting  for  Jesus,  for  they  had  heard  that 
He  was  about  to  leave  the  earth.  At  the  foot  of  the 
mountain  there  were  shade  trees.  In  this  cool  place  Jesus 
sat  down  on  the  grass  for  a  while  with  the  apostles  and 
conversed  with  them.     The  people  of  Jerusalem  had  heard 


192  APOSTLES'  CREED 

that  Jesus  was  about  to  leave  the  earth.  When  they  saw 
that  a  number  of  persons  had  gathered  together  on  Mount 
of  Olives,  they  set  out  in  crowds  for  the  Mount.  When 
it  was  near  noon,  Jesus  stood  up  with  His  disciples  and 
went  up  the  Mount  with  them.  The  apostles,  Mary  and 
the  holy  women  were  with  Jesus,  and  people  from  all  sides 
followed,  as  in  a  procession.  Whilst  going  up  the  Mount, 
our  Saviour's  face  and  body  began  to  shine.  He  walked 
always  faster  and  faster,  as  if  He  was  trying  to  get  away 
from  the  apostles. 

The  last  blessing.  When  Jesus  reached  the  top  of 
Mount  of  Olives,  Jesus  was  gloriously  bright.  All  stood 
around  Him  in  a  circle.  The  holy  souls  of  Limbo  were 
also  there;  but  they  were  invisible  and  could  not  be  seen. 
It  was  noon.  Jesus  was  shining  as  brightly  as  the  sun, 
but  in  various  colors,  like  a  grand  rainbow.  Now  Jesus 
looked  once  more  with  infinite  love  on  His  Mother,  on 
the  apostles,  on  all  present.  Now  He  was  going  to  give 
them  His  last  blessing.  What  do  we  do  when  the  priest 
gives  us  his  blessing?  We  kneel  down,  and  make  the 
sign  of  the  cross.  Thus  did  Mary,  the  apostles  and  all 
present.  And  what  did  our  Saviour  do?  He  turned 
around  towards  all,  and  blessed  them  and  the  whole  world. 

The  Ascension.  And  what  happened  to  our  Saviour 
whilst  He  was  giving  His  blessing?  He  was  lifted  up 
from  the  ground.  He  made  Himself  light,  and  His  feet 
left  the  earth  and  He  rose  upward  towards  heaven.  The 
eyes  of  all  followed  Him.  Bright  and  shining  He  went 
up  higher  and  higher.  Now  He  is  almost  up  to  the  clouds. 
Then  there  comes  a  bright  cloud  from  heaven,  shining 
like  the  sun;  but  Jesus  is  still  brighter.  He  enters  that 
cloud,  just  as  if  one  sun  would  enter  another  sun.  The 
souls  of  Limbo  ascended  invisibly  upward  with  our 
Saviour  and  also  entered  the  bright  cloud.  When  Jesus 
had  reached  the  top  of  that  cloud,  He  could  no  longer 
be  seen  from  the  ground.     But  others  saw  Him :  the  angels. 


THE  ASCENSION  193 

They  looked  down  from  heaven  and  saw  Jesus  standing 
on  the  cloud.  But  He  soon  leaves  the  cloud  and  ascends 
higher  and  higher.  Now  the  clouds  are  far  below  Him. 
Now  He  is  as  high  up  as  the  stars,  and  He  still  continues 
to  go  higher  and  higher  until  the  stars  are  far  below  Him, 
and  He  has  reached  the  gate  of  heaven. 

The  entry  into  heaven.  Now  a  voice  in  heaven  is  heard 
saying:  "Open  the  eternal  gates  of  heaven!  Open  them 
wide,  for  the  King  of  glory  is  about  to  make  His  entry 
into  heaven."  And  now,  children,  for  the  first  time  since 
the  sin  of  our  first  parents,  the  gate  of  heaven  was  opened, 
and  the  Redeemer  of  mankind,  followed  by  the  countless 
souls  from  Limbo,  made  His  glorious  entry  into  heaven. 
It  was  a  long  and  grand  procession.  The  angels  came  to 
meet  our  Saviour,  singing :  "  Alleluia,  praise  the  Lord 
who  ascends  over  the  heaven  of  heavens."  And  the  multi- 
tude of  the  souls  from  Limbo,  who  accompanied  Jesus, 
sang :  "  We  rejoiced,  when  we  were  told,  that  we  shall 
go  into  the  house  of  the  Lord.  Better  is  one  day  in  Thy 
house,  O  Lord,  than  a  thousand  other  days."  Our  Saviour 
went  through  heaven,  always  higher  and  higher,  above  all 
the  angels  and  archangels,  and  higher  till  up  to  the  throne 
of  God. 

Jesus  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  God  the  Father.  There 
the  Father  and  the  Holy  Ghost  rose  from  their  throne  to 
meet  our  Saviour.  The  Father  took  Him  by  the  hand, 
looking  at  Him  with  unspeakable  love,  and  said  to  Him: 
"  Because  Thou  wast  obedient  to  Me  unto  the  death  of 
the  cross,  now  Thou  shalt  be  higher  than  every  one  else. 
Be  seated  on  My  throne  at  My  right  hand,  and  rule  over 
the  whole  world.  Every  knee  shall  bend  to  Thee  in  heaven 
and  on  earth,  and  all  the  angels  shall  adore  Thee."  At 
these  words  all  the  angels  and  all  the  souls  in  heaven  pros- 
trated themselves  on  their  faces  and  adored  our  Saviour. 
He  is  now  seated  on  the  throne  at  the  right  hand  of  God 
the   Father   almighty,    and    rules   and   governs   the   whole 


194  APOSTLES'  CREED 

creation  together  with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Ghost  for- 
ever and  ever.  What  place  does  our  Saviour  hold  in 
heaven  ? 

The  apparition  of  the  angels.  The  apostles  were  still 
on  Mount  of  Olives.  When  they  saw  Jesus  rising  upwards 
from  the  ground,  they  knelt  down  in  great  astonishment. 
And  how  did  they  again  venerate  our  Saviour?  What  did 
they  do  whilst  Jesus  was  ascending  heavenward?  How 
long  did  they  gaze  at  Him?  How  was  He  hidden  from 
their  view?  And  even  when  they  could  no  longer  see 
Him,  they  kept  on  looking  upward.  Who  suddenly  ap- 
peared near  them?  They  came  from  heaven.  How  were 
they  clothed?  What  did  they  say  to  the  apostles?  Why 
did  they  say  "  Men  of  Galilee  "  ?  What  question  did  they 
ask  the  apostles?  What  would  you  have  answered,  if 
you  had  been  there?  The  apostles  probably  said  the  same. 
What  did  the  angels  tell  the  apostles  about  Jesus  who  had 
just  ascended  into  heaven?  Who  knows  when  that  will  be? 
The  angels  then  disappeared.  The  apostles  and  the  crowds 
remained  a  good  while  longer  on  Mount  of  Olives,  speaking 
about  the  Saviour's  Ascension. 

The  return  of  the  apostles.  Where  did  the  apostles  go 
after  leaving  Mount  of  Olives?  We  would  now  naturally 
think  that  the  apostles  grieved  and  wept,  because  our  Sav- 
iour had  left  them.  But  no;  they  returned  to  Jerusalem 
full  of  joy.  They  had  never  before  seen  anything  so  glo- 
rious; and  they  never  forgot  it  so  long  as  they  lived. 

Explanation  —  Christ  ascended  into  heaven  in  soul  and 
in  body.  If  our  soul  is  perfectly  pure  when  we  die,  it 
will  go  straight  to  heaven.  What  will  be  done  to  our 
body  ?  What  will  happen  to  our  body  in  the  grave  ?  What 
happened  to  the  body  of  Jesus  on  the  third  day  after  His 
burial?  How  did  His  body  become  alive  again?  From 
that  moment  His  body  and  His  soul  remained  always  united 
together.  And,  therefore,  Jesus  ascended  in  body  and  in 
soul  into  heaven.     After  our  death  which  part  of  us  will 


JESUS  IN  HEAVEN  195 

go  to  heaven?  But  how  was  it  with  Jesus  when  He 
ascended  into  heaven?  How  long  was  it  after  His  resur- 
rection? What  feast  does  the  Church  celebrate  in  honor 
of  our  Saviour's  ascension  into  heaven. 

Application.  Now  it  is  a  pleasure  for  Jesus  to  be 
the  Redeemer  of  men.  Now  He  can  rest  after  His  labors 
and  sufferings.  The  wicked  Jews  can  no  longer  do  Him 
any  harm.  No  enemy  can  reach  Him  on  His  throne.  The 
gate  of  heaven  is  now  wide  open  day  and  night,  and  every 
day  many  holy  souls  enter  it.  They  all  place  themselves 
around  His  throne.  It  looks  like  thousands  of  wreaths  of 
angels  and  saints  around  Him.  The  saints  take  off  their 
golden  crowns,  kneel  down,  thank  our  divine  Saviour  and 
adore  Him.  Our  Saviour  is  seated  on  His  beautiful  throne. 
He  alone  is  seated.  He  is  raised  above  all.  He  is  the  Lord 
of  all.  How  far  different  is  it  now  from  what  it  was 
on  Good  Friday,  when  Jesus  died  on  the  cross !  On  Good 
Friday  the  people  in  church  are  sad;  many  weep.  Why? 
But  now  we  should  rejoice  the  more,  because  Jesus  in 
heaven  is  raised  above  all. 

You  are  destined  to  go  to  Jesus  in  heaven.  What  has 
He  prepared  there?  You  are  to  be,  as  well  as  the  angels 
and  saints,  near  Jesus  forever  in  heaven.  How  greatly 
you  should  rejoice  at  this  thought!  But  to  go  to  heaven, 
you  must  do  like  Jesus.  He  had  to  deserve  His  place  in 
heaven.  What  did  the  Father  say  to  Him  when  He  led 
Him  to  His  throne?  How  did  Jesus  deserve  so  high  a 
place?  All  through  obedience.  You  must,  therefore,  be 
obedient  like  Jesus.  When  your  parents  command  you 
to  do  something,  you  must  do  it,  even  if  you  would  rather 
go  and  play.  When  the  food  is  not  to  your  liking,  think: 
"  Like  Jesus,  I  will  accept  what  is  bitter  and  disagreeable." 
When  the  teacher  gives  you  a  hard  lesson,  you  must  cheer- 
fully do  your  best  to  learn  it  well.  In  this  manner  you 
will  deserve  a  high  place  in  heaven. 

A  certain  mother  used  to  call  up  her  boys  every  morn- 


196  APOSTLES'  CREED 

ing,  saying :  "  Boys,  get  up ;  life  is  short,  you  have  but 
little  time  to  deserve  heaven.  Every  minute  you  oversleep 
yourselves,  you  could  have  employed  well  to  gain  greater 
happiness  in  heaven.  Therefore  get  up  quickly,  and  go 
and  assist  at  holy  Mass."  Dear  children,  when  your 
mother  calls  you  in  the  morning,  obey  at  once  and  get  up, 
dress,  say  your  morning  prayers,  and  go  to  hear  Mass. 
If  you  promptly  obey  your  parents  and  superiors  you  will 
surely  gain  a  high  place  in  heaven. 


40.  The  Holy  Ghost  descends  upon  the  Apostles. 

Preparation.  With  what  were  the  apostles  to  be  en- 
dowed after  our  Saviour's  Ascension?  Whom  did  Jesus 
promise  He  would  send  them  from  heaven  for  this  pur- 
pose? Where  should  the  apostles  remain  until  then? 
What  should  they  do? 

Object.  I  will  now  relate  to  you  how  the  Holy  Ghost 
came  down  from  the  apostles. 

Relation.  In  Jerusalem  the  apostles  went  to  the  hall 
where  they  usually  stayed  in  that  city.  There  they  all 
remained  in  prayer,  and  there  were  with  them  the  Mother 
of  Jesus  and  other  disciples.  There  were  about  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  persons  in  all.  On  the  tenth  day  there 
suddenly  came  a  sound  from  heaven  as  of  a  mighty  wind, 
and  it  filled  the  whole  house  where  they  were  assembled. 
Tongues  as  of  fire  appeared  and  rested  on  each  of  them. 
And  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  they  began 
to  speak  in  diverse  tongues.  When  the  people  of  Jerusalem 
heard  that  great  sound,  they  hastened  in  great  numbers 
to  the  house  where  the  apostles  were.  St.  Peter  came  out, 
and  preached  to  them  that  Jesus  had  risen  from  the  dead, 
and  was  now  seated  in  heaven  at  the  right  hand  of  God. 
Many  believed  and  were  baptized.  About  three  thousand 
persons  were  admitted  into  the  Church  on  that  day. 

Explanation  —  Waiting  for  the  coming  of  the   Holy 


PENTECOST  197 

Ghost.  Where  had  the  apostles  returned  after  the  Ascen- 
sion of  Jesus?  Where  did  they  stay  in  Jerusalem?  Who 
were  with  the  apostles?  How  many  were  there  in  all? 
They  were  in  that  large  room,  or  hall,  as  in  a  church. 
What  did  they  do  there?  Spent  the  time  in  prayer.  In 
this  manner  they  remained  together  for  ten  days.  The 
tenth  day  was  a  Sunday.  On  this  day  the  Jews  celebrated 
a  great  feast,  Pentecost.  On  this  day  Jews  from  every 
country  came  to  pray  in  the  temple.  Was  there  any  other 
feast  when  the  Jews  had  to  come  to  pray  in  the  temple  of 
Jerusalem?  The  immense  temple  was  filled  with  people, 
and  the  streets  were  crowded. 

The  mighty  wind.  What  came  up  suddenly  in  Jerusa- 
lem on  the  tenth  day?  What  was  the  sound  like?  But 
this  sound  was  not  over  the  whole  city,  but  only  at  and 
around  the  house  where  the  apostles  were  assembled.  The 
sound  from  heaven  came  always  nearer  and  nearer,  till  it 
was  all  around  the  house,  and  at  last  it  entered  and  filled 
the  house. 

The  tongues  as  of  fire.  Another  wonderful  thing  took 
place.  The  room  in  which  the  apostles  were,  became  sud- 
denly all  bright.  What  was  seen  there?  They  came  there 
suddenly.  No  one  knew  where  they  came  from.  There- 
fore we  say  that  they  appeared.  They  were  first  seen  on 
the  ceiling ;  then  they  were  seen  coming  down  slowly. 
Where  did  they  place  themselves?  Over  each  apostle  one 
fiery  tongue  placed  itself  and  remained  suspended  over 
him.  Look  at  the  picture  of  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Who  is  sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  apostles?  What  do 
you  see  over  the  head  of  the  Blessed  Virgin?  Also  there 
is  one  over  the  head  of  each  apostle.  These  tongues  were 
not  of  real  fire,  and  therefore  did  not  burn  the  apostles. 

The  filling  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  Holy  Ghost  was 
in  the  fiery  tongue.  When  the  fiery  tongues  placed  them- 
selves over  the  apostles,  the  Holy  Ghost  invisibly  came 
into  the  apostles  by  descending  from  their  heads  to  their 


198  APOSTLES'  CREED 

hearts,  until  they  were  all  filled  with  Him.  When  a  vase 
is  filled  with  water,  we  say  that  it  is  full  of  water.  With 
what  were  the  apostles  filled?  The  Holy  Ghost  descended 
also  on  all  the  disciples  present. 

The  miracle  of  tongues.  How  could  the  people  hear  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  had  come  down  upon  the  apostles?  Be- 
fore that  day  the  apostles  could  speak  and  understand  only 
one  language  —  the  Jewish  language.  You  yourselves  un- 
derstand and  speak  only  one  language.  Which  is  it?  In 
church  we  hear  the  priest  and  the  altar  boys  praying  in 
another  language.  Which  is  it?  The  Latin.  Do  you  un- 
derstand it?  You  sometimes  hear  Germans,  Italians,  etc., 
speak.  What  language  do  they  speak?  Almost  every 
country  has  its  own  language  different  from  all  other 
languages.  If  you  wish  to  learn  the  language  of  another 
country,  you  must  study  it  even  for  many  years.  Some  per- 
sons find  it  very  hard,  and  even  impossible  to  do  so.  But 
after  receiving  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  apostles  could  under- 
stand and  speak  not  only  the  Jewish  language,  but  also 
every  language  in  the  world,  without  having  studied  them. 
How  could  this  be?  The  Holy  Ghost  taught  them  all  at 
once.     That  was  a  great  miracle. 

The  apostles  go  forth  to  preach.  What  did  the  people 
of  Jerusalem  do  when  they  heard  that  mighty  sound? 
They  hastened  to  the  house  in  which  the  apostles  were, 
and  remained  in  front  of  it.  They  wished  to  see  what  had 
happened  there.  The  door  of  the  house  was  soon  opened, 
and  all  the  apostles  came  out.  How  wonderful !  Before 
this  the  apostles  were  so  full  of  fear,  that  they  always  kept 
the  door  locked  for  fear  of  the  Jews.  Now  they  no  longer 
feared  the  Jews. 

St.  Peter's  sermon.  St.  Peter  came  forth  and  preached. 
What  did  he  preach  about?  He  said  to  the  Jews:  "You 
committed  a  great  sin,  when  you  crucified  Jesus.  He  is 
the  Son  of  God  and  the  Redeemer.  He  is  risen  again  from 
the    dead,    and   has    ascended    into   heaven.     There    He    is 


PENTECOST  199 

seated  at  the  right  hand  of  God.  To-day  He  sent  down 
the  Holy  Ghost  upon  us.  Be  now  sorry  for  your  sins, 
and  receive  baptism."  Among  those  who  heard  St.  Peter 
preach  there  were  many  strangers  from  Egypt,  Rome,  and 
every  country  in  the  world.  There  were  many  thousands 
of  people  present  at  his  sermon.  Why  were  there  so  many 
strangers  in  Jerusalem?  Now  think  a  moment:  if  there 
were  here,  besides  yourselves,  Germans,  Frenchmen,  Ital- 
ians, Chinese,  Japanese,  who  could  not  understand  a  word 
of  English,  could  they  now  understand  every  word  I  say 
to  you?  Not  at  all.  But  St.  Peter's  sermon  in  the  Jewish 
language  was  understood  by  Egyptians,  Romans,  Greeks, 
Gauls,  etc.,  who  did  not  know  a  word  of  Jewish !  Who 
caused  this  great  wonder? 

The  effect  of  the  sermon.  All  had  listened  attentively  to 
St.  Peter's  sermon  and  understood  it.  What  was  the  ef- 
fect of  the  sermon?  Three  thousand  persons  believed  in 
Jesus  Christ  and  were  baptized.  These  persons  were  called 
Christians.  Why?  Because  they  became  disciples  or  fol- 
lowers of  Jesus  Christ.  Who  were  the  very  first  that  be- 
lieved in  Jesus  Christ?  The  apostles  and  disciples  who 
followed  Him  whilst  He  was  still  on  earth. 

The  Church  of  Jesus.  All  the  Christians  together  are 
called  the  Church  of  Christ.  His  Church  was  small  in 
the  beginning.  Who  first  belonged  to  it?  The  apostles, 
disciples  and  the  holy  women.  And  when  were  there  new 
Christians?  How  many?  There  were  more  than  three 
thousand  persons  who  heard  St.  Peter's  sermon.  Why  did 
not  all  of  them  become  Christians?  Because  only  three 
thousand  believed  in  Jesus  Christ  and  were  baptized.  How 
are  people  received  into  the  Church?  By  baptism.  How 
do  people  go  into  your  house?  By  the  door.  How  do 
people  enter  the  Church  of  Christ?  By  baptism.  Baptism 
is  the  door  of  the  Church  of  Christ.  How  many  were  bap- 
tized on  Pentecost  and  entered  the  Church  of  Christ?  When 
they  were  baptized,  they  also  received  the  Holy  Ghost. 


200  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Explanation  —  The  enlightening.  The  Holy  Ghost  is 
like  a  light.  Of  what  use  is  a  light?  It  shines  and  en- 
lightens things.  The  Holy  Ghost  shone  in  the  souls  of 
the  apostles  and  enlightened  them.  After  this  the  apostles 
understood  much  better  than  before  what  Jesus  had  done 
and  taught,  and  clearly  remembered  what  they  had  already 
forgotten. 

The  strengthening.  The  apostles  had  to  know  well  all 
that  our  Saviour  had  done  and  taught,  because  they  had  to 
preach  it  all  over  the  world.  But  the  apostles  had  always 
been  afraid  of  the  Jews.  How  did  they  act  after  the  Holy 
Ghost  had  come  upon  them?  They  opened  the  door  and 
came  out  to  preach  publicly.  And  what  did  St.  Peter  do? 
He  reproached  the  Jews  for  the  great  sin  they  had  com- 
mitted in  crucifying  the  Redeemer,  the  Son  of  God.  St. 
Peter  no  longer  had  any  fear  of  the  Jews.  He  and  the 
other  apostles  were  full  of  courage,  for  the  Holy  Ghost 
had  endowed  them  with  strength  and  fortitude ;  He  had 
strengthened  them.  How  had  Jesus  foretold  this  to  the 
apostles?  What  effects  did  the  Holy  Ghost  produce  in 
the  apostles?  He  enlightened  and  strengthened  them,  and 
enabled  them  to  speak  in  different  languages. 

The  Holy  Ghost  is  sent  to  the  Church.  How  do  we  call 
those  who  received  the  Holy  Ghost  on  Pentecost?  Chris- 
tians. And,  taken  all  together,  what  did  they  form?  The 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ.  Therefore  we  can  say  also:  The 
Holy  Ghost  came  down  upon  the  Church  of  Christ.  In  re- 
membrance of  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  we  celebrate 
the  feast  of  Pentecost,  ten  days  after  the  Ascension  of 
Jesus  into  heaven.  How  many  days  after  Easter  is  the 
Ascension?     How  many  days  after  Easter  is  Pentecost? 

The  Holy  Ghost  comes  to  ns  also  in  baptism.  The  Holy 
Ghost  descended  not  only  into  the  souls  of  the  first  Chris- 
tians, but  also  into  your  soul  and  heart  when  you  were 
baptized.  In  whose  image  and  likeness  was  your  soul  cre- 
ated?    Your  soul  is  an  image  of  God.     When  you  were 


THE  HOLY  GHOST  201 

born,  your  soul  was  not  pure  and  beautiful.  There  was  a 
sin  in  it.  Which  sin?  Original  sin.  That  sin  defiled  the 
image  of  God  in  your  soul,  and  made  it  ugly.  God  could 
not  then  be  pleased  with  your  soul.  If  you  had  died  so, 
you  could  not  have  gone  to  heaven.  Therefore,  when  you 
were  a  little  baby,  you  were  brought  to  the  church.  For 
what  ?  And  when  you  were  baptized,  the  Holy  Ghost  came 
invisibly  into  your  soul,  and  washed  away  from  it  original 
sin.  Your  soul  then  became  so  clean  and  pure  that  there 
was  not  even  the  slightest  stain  in  it.  And  then  the  image 
of  God  in  your  soul  became  perfectly  pure  and  beautiful. 
And  the  Holy  Ghost  gave  your  soul  a  snow-white  garment. 
This  garment  made  your  soul  holy.  How  do  you  call  it? 
The  holy  garment  of  sanctifying  grace.  Your  soul  then 
became  as  beautiful  as  a  little  angel.  And  if  you  had 
died  then,  your  soul  would  have  flown  directly  to  God  in 
heaven,  and  people  would  have  said :  "  That  child  is  now 
a  beautiful  little  angel."  And  at  your  funeral  they  would 
have  said :  "  That  is  the  body  of  an  angel."  And  your 
brothers  and  sisters,  and  also  your  parents  could  have 
prayed  to  you  as  they  now  pray  to  the  angels  and  saints 
in  heaven.  Who  came  down  into  your  soul  at  baptism? 
What  did  the  Holy  Ghost  remove  from  your  soul?  And 
what  did  He  bring  to  your  soul?  The  garment  of  sancti- 
fying grace,  more  precious  than  all  the  riches  of  the  world. 
What  did  it  make  your  soul?  Holy.  The  Holy  Ghost 
made  you  holy;  He  sanctified  you.  Each  of  the  three  Di- 
vine Persons  has  benefited  you.  What  benefit  has  the 
Father  bestowed  on  you?  What  benefit  has  the  Son  con- 
ferred on  you?  And  what  has  the  Holy  Ghost  done  for 
you?     He  sanctified  you. 

The  Holy  Ghost  dwells  in  the  soul.  After  your  baptism, 
the  Holy  Ghost  remained  and  dwelt  in  your  soul.  How 
do  you  call  the  house  in  which  God  dwells?  God's  house, 
a  church.  And  what  has  your  soul,  your  heart,  become 
:-ince  the  Holy  Ghost  dwells  therein?     A  house  of  God,  a 


202  APOSTLES'  CREED 

church,  a  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Sometimes  some  rela- 
tives or  friends  come  to  spend  a  few  days  at  your  house. 
They  are  called  your  guests.  They  usually  bring  some 
present  for  you.  In  like  manner,  the  Holy  Ghost  has  come 
to  stay  in  your  soul.  He  brought  something  for  your  soul. 
What  has  He  brought?  Therefore  you  can  call  Him  the 
guest  of  your  soul. 

Mortal  sin  drives  away  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  Holy  Ghost 
wishes  to  remain  always  in  your  soul.  But  He  can  dwell 
only  in  a  pure  and  holy  soul.  That  is  why  He  is  called 
the  Holy  Ghost.  So  long  as  Judas  was  good  and  pious,  the 
Holy  Ghost  dwelt  in  his  soul.  But  when  Judas  committed 
a  grievous  sin,  the  Holy  Ghost  left  his  soul  and  with  Him 
the  garment  of  grace  went  away  also.  And  then  the  devil 
entered  his  soul,  his  heart.  The  same  happens  to  other 
men.  When  does  the  Holy  Ghost  leave  the  soul?  How 
long  does  the  Holy  Ghost  remain  in  the  soul? 

Summary.  The  Holy  Ghost  is  the  Third  Person  of  the 
Blessed  Trinity.  He  is  true  God  like  the  Father  and  the 
Son.  He  was  sent  to  the  Church  on  Pentecost.  The  Holy 
Ghost  came  into  our  soul  already  at  our  baptism,  and  re- 
mains in  our  soul  as  long  as  we  keep  free  from  mortal  sin. 

Application.  Suppose  you  had  suddenly  become  chil- 
dren of  a  monarch,  of  a  millionaire?  How  happy  would 
you  feel?  But  since  you  received  in  baptism  from 
the  Holy  Ghost  the  holy  garment  of  grace,  you  are  more 
noble,  more  rich  than  the  children  of  a  monarch,  of  a 
millionaire,  for  you  are  children  of  God.  Should  not  this 
fill  you  with  joy?  But  be  very  careful  to  remain  children 
of  God,  and  do  not  lose  the  garment  of  grace.  How 
could  you  lose  it?  By  committing  a  mortal  sin,  for  in- 
stance. .  .  .  Rather  die  than  commit  a  mortal  sin.  Chil- 
dren are  anxious  to  be  beautiful  and  rich.  With  the  gar- 
ment of  grace  our  soul  is  as  beautiful  as  an  angel  and 
much  richer  than  any  monarch  or  millionaire.  If  you 
are  good,  the  Holy  Ghost  will  make  you  every  day  more 


THE  HOLY  GHOST  203 

and  more  beautiful  and  rich.  Therefore  He  enlightens 
you  with  the  light  of  His  grace.  Then  He  inspires  you  to 
do  good ;  for  instance,  He  suggests  to  you  to  say :  "  I  will 
pray;  I  will  be  devout  in  church;  I  will  cheerfully  obey;  I 
will  study  diligently ;  I  will  be  modest."  It  is  the  Holy 
Ghost  that  sends  to  you  all  these  good  thoughts.  Before 
the  sermon,  before  the  instruction  we  recite  a  prayer  to 
the  Holy  Ghost.  Then  He  enlightens  us  that  we  may  better 
understand  and  remember  the  sermon  and  the  instruction, 
or  the  word  of  God.  The  Catechism  also  is  the  word  of 
God.  The  Holy  Ghost  helps  you  at  the  instruction  in  Cate- 
chism to  understand  it  better.  When  you  find  the  Cate- 
chism lesson  hard  to  learn,  stop  awhile  and  say  an  Our 
Father  to  the  Holy  Ghost;  and  then  take  a  new  start  in 
studying  it,  and  you  will  learn  it  more  easily. 

When  you  feel  inclined  or  tempted  to  do  anything  bad, 
for  instance,  to  disobey,  to  tell  lies,  to  steal,  say :  "  Help 
me,  O  Holy  Ghost,  to  avoid  that  sin."  And  the  Holy  Ghost 
will  give  you  the  strength  to  overcome  your  evil  inclination 
and  avoid  that  sin. 

There  are  some  children  who  are  happy  to  obey  always 
punctually.  They  find  nothing  too  much  or  too  hard.  Do 
you  know  who  makes  them  so  willing  to  obey?  It  is  the 
Holy  Ghost.  He  strengthens  them.  And  when  the  Holy 
Ghost  makes  a  person  strong,  he  finds  everything  easy 
and  pleasant.  And  everything  a  good  child  does  is  pre- 
cious in  the  sight  of  God. 

On  the  roof  of  some  churches  there  are  gilt  stars.  When 
the  sun  shines  on  them,  they  shine  and  twinkle  like  the 
stars  in  the  heavens.  But  if  the  sun  does  not  shine  on 
them,  they  can  hardly  be  seen.  What  makes  those  stars  so 
beautiful?  The  sun.  The  Holy  Ghost  in  your  heart  is 
also  a  sun.  All  you  do  becomes  gilt  and  bright  by  His  light, 
and  is  pleasing  to  God.  And  the  heavenly  wings  of  your 
soul  grow  always  more  and  more.  But  if  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  not  in  your  heart,  all  the  good  you  then  do,  is  almost 


204  APOSTLES'  CREED 

nothing  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  heavenly  wings  are  want- 
ing to  you.  Without  the  Holy  Ghost  you  can  do  nothing 
to  deserve  heaven. 

You  now  see  how  much  the  Holy  Ghost  benefits  you. 
Is  He  not  a  dear  sweet  guest  in  your  soul?  Often  pray 
devoutly  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  ask  Him  often  to  come 
to  you  and  enrich  you  with  His  grace.  Say  to  Him :  "  O 
Holy  Ghost,  my  sweet  Guest,  who  possessest  all  graces, 
come  to  enlighten  and  strengthen  me,  and  help  me  to  un- 
derstand the  word  of  God,  and  cheerfully  to  fulfil  all  His 
commands." 

41.  The  Catholic  Church. 

Connection.  The  last  time  I  gave  you  an  explanation 
of  the  Church.  You  know  that  Jesus  preached  for  three 
years  among  the  Jews,  and  that  many  believed  in  Him. 
How  were  those  called  who  believed  in  Him?  Christians. 
What  did  all  the  Christians  together  constitute?  The 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ.  By  the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
we  do  not  mean  a  stone  or  frame  building  into  which  we 
go  to  pray.  When  people  see  you  going  together  to  church, 
they  say :  "  Here  comes  the  school."  They  do  not  mean 
the  school-house,  where  the  teacher  teaches,  and  the  chil- 
dren learn  and  recite  their  lessons.  What  do  they  mean? 
And  when  something  was  said  in  school,  people  say :  '  The 
whole  school  laughed."  They  do  not  mean  that  the  school 
building  or  the  school-room  laughed.  And  when  we  say 
or  speak  about  the  Church  of  Christ,  we  do  not  mean  the 
church  building.     What,  then,  do  we  mean  by  the  Church? 

Object.  By  degrees  the  number  of  Christians  increased 
and  the  Church  grew  larger,  as  I  will  tell  you  to-day. 

Development  —  Spreading  of  the  Church  after  Pente- 
cost. Our  divine  Saviour  wished  that  all  men  should  be- 
long to  the  Church.  Therefore,  shortly  before  ascending 
to  heaven,  He  said  to  His  apostles :     "  Go  into  the  whole 


THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  205 

world  and  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  What 
did  Jesus  command  His  apostles?  But  men  spoke  many 
different  languages  in  the  world.  What  did  Jesus  do  to 
enable  all  men  to  understand  the  apostles?  When  did  the 
apostles  begin  to  preach?  Who  preached  the  first  sermon? 
What  was  the  effect  of  his  sermon?  Because  they  be- 
lieved in  Jesus  Christ  they  were  called  Christians,  or  faith- 
ful, because  they  were  faithful  in  believing  and  becoming 
Christians.  How  many  new  Christians  were  there  on 
Pentecost?     To  what  did  they  belong?     To  the  Church. 

Just  as  St.  Peter  preached  on  Pentecost,  so  did  the  other 
apostles  preach  afterwards.  They  first  preached  in  the 
Jewish  country.  The  chief  Jews  did  not  like  it,  and  there- 
fore they  persecuted  the  apostles  as  they  had  persecuted 
Jesus.  They  put  the  apostles  in  prison  and  scourged  them ; 
but  this  did  not  stop  their  preaching;  they  preferred  to  die 
rather  than  disobey  Jesus.  Who  gave  the  apostles  such 
great  courage  and  strength?  The  apostles  also  proved  the 
truth  of  what  they  preached  about  Jesus.  Soon  after  Pen- 
tecost Peter  saw  a  beggar  who  was  a  cripple  lying  down 
near  one  of  the  gates  of  the  temple.  St.  Peter  took  him  by 
the  hand,  and  said :  "  In  the  name  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth 
arise  and  walk."  The  cripple  immediately  jumped  up,  and 
was  able  to  walk.  What  did  St.  Peter  do  by  this?  He 
performed  a  miracle.  Who  is  alone  able  to  work  a  miracle? 
God ;  Jesus  as  God.  What  did  St.  Peter  say  when  he  cured 
that  cripple?  The  people  therefore  knew  that  a  miracle 
had  been  performed  through  Jesus,  and  many  believed  in 
Him,  five  thousand  men,  besides  the  women  and  children. 

But  the  apostles  did  not  all  remain  in  Judea.  Where  did 
they  afterwards  go  to  preach  Jesus  Christ  and  His  doc- 
trine? All  over  the  world.  One  went  to  Egypt,  another 
to  Persia,  another  to  Rome ;  and  so  they  went  to  every 
country.  They  preached  wherever  they  went,  and  every- 
where many  became  Christians,  and  the  number  of  Chris- 


206  APOSTLES'  CREED 

tians  kept  on  increasing.  Jews  and  pagans,  rich  and  poor, 
even  princes  and  kings  believed  in  Jesus  Christ  and  were 
baptized.  To  what  did  they  all  belong?  Thus  the  Church 
of  Christ  spread  always  into  more  and  more  countries. 

The  Christians,  a  family.  All  the  members  of  the  Church 
clung  together  and  loved  one  another  very  much,  just 
as  it  is  with  you  at  home.  The  father  and  mother  and  the 
children  all  belong  together  and  love  one  another.  And 
when  any  member  of  the  family  goes  elsewhere,  do  you  not 
love  him  still  ?  Does  he  not  still  belong  to  the  family  ?  How 
do  you  show  your  love  to  the  absent  ones?  By  writing, 
sending  little  presents  as  tokens  of  love.  You  are  all  but 
one  family.  In  like  manner,  all  the  Christians  belonged 
together  and  loved  and  helped  one  another.  They  formed 
one  large  family.  They  did  not  all  live  together  at  Jerusa- 
lem. Where  else  were  there  Christians?  In  Egypt,  in 
Greece,  in  Rome,  in  every  country.  They  formed  an  im- 
mense  family,  the  Church  of   Christ. 

The  Pope,  the  head  of  the  Church.  In  every  family  there 
must  be  one  at  the  head  who  commands  and  cares  for 
all.  Who  is  it?  The  father.  The  father  is  the  head  of 
the  family.  The  Church,  a  very  large  family,  must  have 
a  head.  This  head  is  also  a  father,  our  Holy  Father,  the 
Pope.  All  the  Catholics  in  the  world  love  and  obey  him 
and  call  him  Holy  Father,  or  the  Pope.  Who  is  the  head 
of  the  Church?     The  Pope. 

St.  Peter,  the  first  head  of  the  Church,  the  first  Pastor 
or  Pope.  St.  Peter  was  the  first  Holy  Father  or  Pope. 
Who  made  him  head  of  the  Church?  One  day  Jesus  asked 
St.  Peter :  "  Dost  thou  love  Me  ?  "  St.  Peter  answered : 
"  Lord,  Thou  knowest  that  I  love  Thee."  Then  Jesus  said 
to  him :  "  Feed  My  lambs ;  feed  My  sheep."  WThat  a 
great  meaning  in  these  words !  What  do  you  call  a  man 
who  takes  care  of  sheep  and  lambs?  A  shepherd,  or  a 
pastor.  What  did  Jesus  order  St.  Peter  to  do?  To  feed 
the  lambs  and  sheep  belonging  to  Jesus.     What,  then,  did 


THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  207 

He  make  St.  Peter?  A  shepherd,  or  pastor.  But  the 
sheep  and  lambs  of  Jesus  were  not  ordinary  sheep  and 
lambs,  but  all  Christians,  that  is,  all  the  men,  women  and 
children  who  believed  in  Jesus  and  were  baptized ;  these 
formed  the  flock,  or  the  Church  of  Christ.  But  the  sheep 
of  Christ's  flock,  or  Church,  are  not  all  close  together  as 
sheep  and  lambs  in  a  flock.  They  are  scattered  over  the 
whole  world,  in  every  country,  city,  town,  etc.  And  St. 
Peter  was  ordered  by  Jesus  to  feed  them  all,  to  care  for 
them,  to  be  their  shepherd,  their  pastor.  St.  Peter  was, 
therefore,  the  first  head  of  the  Church,  or  Pope. 

The  apostles  were  also  all  shepherds.  But  St.  Peter  could 
not  care  all  alone  for  the  immense  flock  of  Jesus.  It 
needed  many  shepherds,  shepherds  in  every  country  and 
place.  Jesus  knew  this ;  therefore,  He  made  the  other 
apostles  shepherds  also,  as  helpers  of  St.  Peter.  Each 
apostle  was  to  care  for  a  part  of  the  flock,  but  they  all  had 
to  obey  St.  Peter,  the  head-shepherd. 

Bishops,  the  successors  of  the  apostles.  But  St.  Peter 
and  the  other  apostles  did  not  live  always ;  they  all  died 
in  the  course  of  time.  To  take  their  places  after  their 
death,  the  apostles  chose  and  ordained  other  pious  men  as 
bishops,  or  shepherds,  for  this  was  the  will  of  Jesus  Christ. 
And  these  bishops  succeeded  the  apostles  after  their  death. 
When  a  bishop  died,  another  was  chosen  in  his  place,  and 
this  has  continued  until  now  and  will  continue  as  long  as 
the  Church  of  Christ  lasts,  and  that  will  be  until  the  end 
of  the  world.  There  are  now  even  more  than  one  thou- 
sand bishops  in  the  world.  (Name  some  cities  where  bish- 
ops reside.) 

The  Bishop  of  Rome.  Before  his  death  St.  Peter  lived 
in  Rome.  The  bishop  who  succeeded  him,  lived  also  in 
Rome ;  and  all  his  successors  lived  also  in  Rome.  The 
Bishop  of  Rome  is  the  successor  of  St.  Peter.  What  was 
St.  Peter  to  the  whole  Church  of  Jesus  Christ?  Her  head. 
The   Bishop  of  Rome  has   always  been  the  head  of   the 


208  APOSTLES'  CREED 

Church.  How  is  he  called?  There  have  been  already  over 
two  hundred  and  sixty  Popes. 

Priests,  the  assistants  of  the  bishops.  Because  the  Pope 
and  the  bishops  are  the  successors  of  the  apostles,  they 
must  do  what  the  apostles  did.  What  did  Jesus  command 
the  apostles  to  do?  To  teach  men  what  He  had  taught 
and  baptize  those  who  believed.  They  have  also  to  say 
Mass,  to  hear  confessions,  administer  the  sacraments,  etc. 
But  some  bishops  have  to  care  for  several  hundred  thou- 
sand Christians,  scattered  in  cities,  towns,  etc.  The  bishop 
cannot  alone  care  for  all,  hear  the  confessions  of  all,  bap- 
tize all  the  children,  say  Mass  for  all,  preach  to  and  instruct 
all,  prepare  all  the  dying  for  a  good  death,  etc.  He  needs 
a  great  deal  of  help.  Who  preaches,  says  Mass  for  you, 
instructs  you,  etc.?  The  pastor;  his  assistant.  The  bishop 
ordains  priests  and  sends  them  as  his  help  in  the  parishes 
of  his  diocese.  Therefore  there  are  several  hundred  thou- 
sand priests  in  the  world  helping  the  bishops  to  care  for 
their  share  of  the  flock  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  Catiiolic  Church  founded  by  Jesus  Christ.  Which 
bishop  is  the  head  of  the  Church?  Who  was  the  first  head 
of  the  Church?  Who  is  the  successor  of  St.  Peter?  Who 
are  the  successors  of  the  other  apostles  ?  Who  help  the  bish- 
ops in  caring  for  the  souls  of  the  faithful?  Who  willed  that 
St.  Peter  and  the  other  apostles  should  have  successors? 
Jesus  willed  also  that  priests  should  help  the  bishops  in 
caring  for  souls.  Who  wills  that  the  Church  should  be 
as  it  is  now?  In  other  words,  who  founded  the  Church? 
The  Church  in  which  the  Pope  is  the  head,  is  called  the 
Catholic  Church,  and  all  the  Christians  who  belong  to  it, 
are  called  Catholics.  Who  belong  to  the  Church  of  Christ  ? 
Catholics.  You  are  also  Catholics.  How  did  you  become 
Catholics  ? 

Application  —  Society  of  the  Holy  Childhood.  It  is  a 
great  happiness  to  belong  to  the  Catholic  Church.  I  will 
tell  you  how  you  can  thank  God  for  it.     In  Asia,  in  China 


THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  209 

there  are  many  millions  of  pagan  children.  They  are  not 
baptized.  They  do  not  belong  to  the  Catholic  Church;  if 
they  die  thus,  they  cannot  go  to  heaven.  And  many  die 
thus.  The  parents  often  throw  their  new-born  babies  into 
the  streets,  or  into  rivers,  or  into  the  woods,  where  they  die 
of  hunger,  or  cold,  are  drowned  or  are  eaten  up  by  ani- 
mals. Would  you  be  willing  to  help  to  have  these  children 
baptized  and  become  Catholics  like  yourselves?  You  can 
help  a  little.  How?  By  saying  daily  a  Hail  Mary  that 
God  may  grant  that  those  children  should  be  baptized,  and 
giving  every  month  one  cent  to  save  these  poor  little  chil- 
dren. The  money  is  sent  to  pious  priests  in  those  countries. 
They  baptize  them,  save  their  life,  feed  and  clothe  them, 
bring  them  up  as  Catholic  children,  just  as  you  yourselves 
are  brought  up  and  taught  to  serve  God  and  save  your 
soul.  Sometimes  those  pious  priests  buy  those  children 
from  their  parents,  and  bring  them  up  as  good  Catholic 
children.  The  more  money  sent  to  these  priests,  the  more 
pagan  children  they  can  baptize  and  make  good  Catholics 
of  them.  There  are  thousands  of  Catholic  children,  like 
yourselves,  who  daily  say  a  Hail  Mary  and  give  one  cent 
every  month  for  those  pagan  children.  They  do  this  in 
honor  of  the  Holy  Child  Jesus,  and  they  form  a  society 
called  Society  of  the  Holy  Childhood.  What  must  the 
members  of  that  society  do  every  day  ?     Every  month  ? 

42.  The  End  of  the  Catholic  Church.    The  Com- 
munion of  Saints.    The  Forgiveness  of  Sins. 

Object.  I  will  now  show  you  how  great  a  happiness 
it  is  to  be  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

Development  —  The  shepherds,  or  pastors  lead.  All 
Catholics  together  form  the  Church  or  flock  of  Christ. 
During  His  life  Jesus  Himself  was  the  shepherd.  He 
once  said  of  Himself:  "  I  am  the  Good  Shepherd."  When 
Jesus  returned  to  heaven,  He  did  not  wish  to  leave  His 


210  APOSTLES'  CREED 

flock  without  a  shepherd.  Whom  did  Jesus,  be-fore  ascend- 
ing into  heaven,  appoint  as  the  head  shepherd  of  His  flock? 
What  did  He  say  to  St.  Peter?  "Feed  My  lambs,  feed 
My  sheep."  What  did  He  appoint  His  apostles  to  be? 
Shepherds. 

The  flock  of  Jesus  is  very  great.  There  are  now  over 
three  hundred  millions  of  Catholics  in  the  world.  Who 
is  now  the  head  shepherd  of  this  great  flock?  The  Pope. 
(Give  his  name.)  That  large  flock  is  now  divided  into 
more  than  one  thousand  smaller  flocks.  The  bishops  are 
the  shepherds  of  these  flocks.  The  flocks  of  the  bishops 
are  still  very  large;  they  average  one  hundred  thousand 
each.  Each  bishop  cannot  care  by  himself  for  his  whole 
flock.  By  whom  are  the  bishops  helped?  By  the  priests. 
Each  bishop  has,  on  an  average,  over  one  hundred  priests 
to  help  him.  The  priests  also  are  shepherds,  or  pastors. 
I  am  the  pastor  or  shepherd  of  ...  .  Rev.  Father  is  pas- 
tor of  ....  So  it  is  all  over  the  world.  Every  parish 
has  its  shepherd,  or  pastor.  Where  does  the  pastor  lead 
his  flock? 

The  flock  follows,  obeys.  Some  of  you  have  perhaps  al- 
ready seen  a  flock  of  sheep  going  somewhere.  Where  is 
the  shepherd?  In  front;  and  the  sheep  follow  him  where- 
ever  he  goes.  How  beautiful!  In  like  manner,  the  Rev. 
pastors  lead  their  flocks  to  the  pastures.  The  bishop  goes 
ahead,  and  his  priests  follow  him,  each  one  leading  his 
own  little  flock.  And  who  is  at  the  head  of  the  whole 
flock  of  Jesus  Christ?  The  Pope.  Why?  Because  he  is 
the  head-shepherd  of  the  whole  flock,  and  the  whole  flock 
follows  him. 

The  end  or  object  of  the  zvhole  Hock  and  of  the  head- 
shepherd  is  heaven.  Do  you  know  where  the  Pope  is  lead- 
ing the  flock  of  Jesus  Christ?  To  heaven.  Towards 
heaven  the  Pope  directs  his  steps.  The  sheep  in  every 
little  flock  look  to  their  shepherd  or  pastor  in  front;  and 


THE  CATHOLIC  CHURCH  211 

these  shepherds  look  to  the  shepherd  ahead  of  them,  the 
bishop;  and  all  the  bishops  look  to  and  follow  the  Pope  at 
the  head  of  all  of  them;  and  the  Pope  looks  to  heaven 
and  walks  in  the  road  leading  there,  and  all  follow  him 
in   that   direction. 

The  Church  leads  us  on  the  right  road.  If  the  Pope 
would  not  lead  the  immense  flock  of  Jesus  Christ  on  the 
right  road,  the  whole  flock  would  not  reach  heaven.  But 
the  Pope  knows  the  way  to  heaven.  Our  divine  Saviour 
showed  the  way  to  His  apostles.  It  is  true  that  the  apos- 
tles did  not  always  understand  well  what  Jesus  said,  and 
that  they  forgot  much  of  it ;  but  later  on  they  remembered 
and  understood  all.  How?  The  Holy  Ghost  enlightened 
them  on    Pentecost. 

The  Holy  Ghost  directs  the  Church.  Since  Pentecost 
the  Holy  Ghost  has  always  remained  with  the  Church. 
He  is  still  with  her  and  enlightens  the  Pope  and  the  bishops. 
Therefore  the  Pope  and  the  bishops  now  know  the  way 
to  heaven  as  well  as  the  apostles  did;  and  they  now  teach 
the  very  same  things  which  Jesus  commanded  the  apostles 
to  teach.  Who  help  the  bishops  in  the  care  of  souls? 
The  priests.  The  bishop  tells  his  priests  what  they  must 
teach  to  their  flocks,  and  the  priests  teach  nothing  else 
than  what  their  bishop  teaches ;  and  the  bishops  teach  only 
what  the  Pope  teaches.  Therefore  all  is  true  that  is  taught 
in  the  whole  Church,  and  the  Church  cannot  lead  us  on 
a  wrong  road,  but  leads  us  always  right.  Who  takes  care 
that  the  Church  should  always  lead  us  right?  The  Holy 
Ghost.  When  did  Jesus  send  the  Holy  Ghost  to  His 
Church?  Jesus  Christ  sent  the  Holy  Ghost  to  His  Church 
on  Pentecost. 

We  must  obey  the  Church.  Where  will  the  Church  lead 
us?  To  heaven.  She  goes  in  front.  And  what  must  we 
do,  if  we  wish  to  go  to  heaven?  If  we  wish  to  go  to 
heaven  we  must  follow,  that  is,  obey  the  Church.     To  be 


212  APOSTLES'  CREED 

saved  means  to  go  to  heaven.  What  must  we  do  to  be 
saved?  If  we  wish  to  be  saved,  we  must  always  obey  the 
Church. 

In  the  Church  ive  receive  the  forgiveness  of  our  sins. 
A  sheep  that  does  not  follow  the  shepherd,  will  get  always 
further  and  further  away  from  the  flock,  and  at  last  it 
will  no  longer  see  the  flock.  It  does  not  know  then  where 
to  go;  it  runs  about  in  every  direction,  and  gets  at  last 
entangled  in  briars  and  thorns;  and  if  the  shepherd  does 
not  come  to  free  it  from  the  briars  and  thorns,  the  poor 
sheep  perishes.  So  it  is  with  the  Catholics  who  do  not 
follow  (obey)  the  Church.  They  go  astray  and  get  en- 
tangled in  sins,  perhaps  in  mortal  sins,  and  if  there  were 
no  one  to  loosen  them,  they  could  never  go  to  heaven.  But 
the  Church  can  come  and  loosen  those  sheep  of  hers  from 
their  sins.  The  sheep  help  along,  for  they  confess  their 
sins  to  the  priest.  And  then  the  priest  loosens  them  from 
their  sins,  that  is,  he  forgives  their  sins.  What  must  we 
do  to  have  our  sins  forgiven?  Each  of  you  have  already 
been  forgiven  a  sin.  Which  sin  was  it?  Original  sin. 
When  was  it  forgiven  you?  It  is  only  in  the  Catholic 
Church  that  sins  can  be  forgiven.  Therefore  we  say  in 
the  Apostles'  Creed :  "  I  believe  in  the  forgiveness  of 
sins."  He  whose  sins  are  forgiven,  can  again  go  to 
heaven. 

Object  of  the  Church.  No  one  is  able  to  find  heaven 
by  himself.  Who  leads  us  on  the  right  road  to  heaven? 
The  Church ;  for  it  was  for  this  purpose  that  Jesus  founded 
His  Church.  Jesus  established  His  Church  to  lead  men 
by  the  right  road  to  heaven,  to  eternal  salvation.  To  what 
must  all  men  belong,  in  order  to  be  saved?  Therefore 
Jesus  said  to  His  apostles :  "  Go  into  the  whole  world 
and  preach  to  all  nations,"  etc.,  etc. 

The  Catholics,  or  the  Christian  faithful  on  earth.  When, 
in  a  family,  the  father  earns  some  money,  the  mother  and 
the  children  derive  profit  from  it.     And  when  one  of  the 


COMMUNION  OF  SAINTS  213 

children  earns  money,  his  brothers  and  sisters  and  parents 
share  in  it.  And  in  the  great  family  of  the  Catholic  Church 
when  a  member  gains  some  merit,  all  the  other  members 
share  in  it.  Many  of  the  faithful  are  pious  and  holy  and 
do  much  good.  For  this  they  deserve  a  great  reward  from 
God.  They  do  not  keep  it  all  for  themselves.  You  and 
all  other  Catholics  share  in  it.  A  girl  that  goes  to  the 
convent,  and  becomes  a  Sister,  deserves  great  reward 
from  God.  All  the  faithful  share  in  it.  When  the  Pope, 
the  bishops  and  priests  say  Mass,  they  pray  for  all  the 
faithful.  And  as  at  home  the  parents  pray  for  the  chil- 
dren, and  the  children  for  the  parents,  so  all  the  faithful 
pray  for  one  another. 

The  suffering  souls  in  purgatory.  When  one  of  the 
faithful  dies  in  the  state  of  grace,  he  may  not  go  directly 
to  heaven.  Why?  Because  he  may  not  be  perfectly  pure 
at  his  death;  perhaps  his  soul  is  then  stained  with  some 
venial  sins.  His  soul  must  be  entirely  purified,  before  it 
can  enter  heaven ;  therefore  it  is  sent  to  purgatory,  where 
it  will  have  to  suffer  until  it  is  perfectly  pure.  There  are 
many,  many  souls  in  purgatory.  They  must  suffer  much ; 
they  cannot  help  themselves.  Therefore  we  call  them  the 
suffering  souls,  the  poor  souls.  These  souls  still  belong  to 
us.  They  are  our  brothers  and  sisters  of  the  great  Catholic 
family.  In  purgatory  they  think  of  us,  and  cry  out  to  us : 
"  Oh,  help  us !  Please  help  us."  And  we  can  help  them. 
How? 

The  souls  in  heaven.  Where  do  the  souls  in  purgatory 
go  when  they  are  perfectly  pure?  The  souls  that  are  per- 
fectly pure  at  death,  go  directly  to  heaven.  There  they 
see  and  enjoy  God,  and  are  perfectly  happy.  They  are 
the  "  blessed  "  in  heaven.  There  are  probably  members 
of  your  family  already  in  heaven ;  for  instance,  your 
grandparents,  a  child  that  died  soon  after  its  baptism,  etc. 
Although  they  are  already  dead  and  in  heaven,  they  still 
belong  to  your  family.     They  think  of  you  and  pray  for 


2i4  APOSTLES'  CREED 

you.     All  the  souls  in  heaven  belong  to  the  great  Catholic 
family.     They  think  of  us,  love  us  and  pray  for  us. 

The  Communion  of  saints.  Who  still  belong  to  the  great 
Catholic  family  on  earth?  The  souls  in  purgatory  and  the 
souls  in  heaven.  The  faithful  on  earth,  the  souls  in  purga- 
tory and  the  souls  in  heaven  form  a  society  which  is  called 
the  Communion  of  saints.  The  souls  in  heaven  are  al- 
ready holy  or  saints.  The  souls  in  purgatory  have  the 
garment  of  sanctifying  grace,  and  will  soon  be  perfectly 
holy.  The  Catholics  on  earth  have  been  sanctified  in  bap- 
tism, and  should  daily  become  more  and  more  holy,  for 
they  are  destined  to  be  saints  in  heaven.  Therefore  the 
society  of  the  saints  in  heaven,  of  the  souls  in  purgatory 
and  of  the  faithful  on  earth  is  called  the  Communion  of 
saints. 

Summary.  Who  belong  to  the  Communion  of  saints? 
What  must  we  do  to  be  saved?  Who  takes  care  that  the 
Church  will  lead  us  by  the  right  road  to  heaven?  For 
what  purpose  did  Jesus  Christ  establish  His  Church? 

Application,  i.  The  saints  in  heaven  are  willing  to 
help  us,  that  we  may  succeed  in  saving  our  soul  on  earth 
and  may  join  them  in  heaven.  Therefore  they  pray  for 
us,  and  when  we  ask  God  for  something,  they  pray  to  God 
to  give  it  to  us,  that  is,  they  intercede  for  us.  God  will- 
ingly grants  us  what  the  saints  beg  Him  to  give  us.  Let 
us  love  to  pray  to  the  saints  in  heaven,  and  especially  to 
the  Blessed  Virgin  and  St.  Joseph.  They  are  our  patrons. 
We  should,  then,  pray  daily  to  them.  Each  of  you  has  a 
special  patron,  whose  name  you  bear.  What  is  the  name 
of  your  patron?     Of  yours?     A  good  child  prays  daily  to 

his  patron.     Often  say:     "  My  holy  Patron,  St ,  pray 

for  me;  protect  me."  2.  Just  as  the  saints  in  heaven  will- 
ingly help  us,  so  should  we  help  the  souls  in  purgatory. 
Let  us  often  pray  for  them,  saying:  "Eternal  rest  give 
unto  them,  O  Lord,  and  let  perpetual  light  shine  upon  them. 
May  they  rest  in  peace.     Amen."     Pray  especially  for  the 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE  BODY         215 

souls  of  the  members  of  your  family,  of  your  benefactors, 
etc.  You  now  see  how  all  in  the  Catholic  Church  help  one 
another  to  be  saved.  How  happy  it  should  make  you,  and 
how  grateful  to  God  you  should  be  for  it ! 

43.  The  Resurrection  of  the  Body  and  Life  everlast- 
ing.   Amen. 

Preparation.  What  becomes  of  man's  body  after 
death?  The  grave  is,  indeed,  a  small,  narrow  bed.  Your 
bed  at  home  is  warm  and  soft.  In  it  you  sleep  well  and 
soundly.  Children  often  sleep  so  soundly,  that  they  do 
not  wish  to  get  awake.  What  does  your  mother  then  do? 
She  awakens  you.     And  then  what  do  you  do? 

No  one  is  warm  and  comfortable  in  the  grave;  it  is  a 
cold,  hard  and  heavy  bed.  How  is  it  covered?  With 
earth.  The  dead  in  the  grave  sleep  continually  day  and 
night,  summer  and  winter,  and  so  soundly  that  there  is 
no  awaking  them.  But  the  time  shall  come,  when  all  the 
dead  shall  again  awake,  at  the  resurrection  of  the  dead. 

Object.  I  will  now  tell  you  who  will  again  awake  the 
dead. 

Relation.  At  the  end  of  the  world  the  sun  will  be 
darkened,  the  moon  will  give  no  more  light,  and  the  stars 
will  fall  from  the  heavens.  Then  our  Saviour  will  send 
His  angels,  and  they  will  sound  their  trumpets  all  over 
the  earth,  saying:  "Arise,  ye  dead;  and  come  to  judg- 
ment." The  angels  will  sound  their  trumpets  so  loudly, 
as  to  awaken  the  dead  in  their  graves.  And  behold !  in  a 
moment  the  dead  shall  get  alive  again  and  come  out  of 
their  graves.  The  bodies  of  the  good  shall  be  wonderfully 
bright  and  beautiful ;  but  the  bodies  of  the  wicked  shall 
be  gloomy  and  horrible.  That  will  be  the  resurrection  of 
the  dead. 

Explanation  —  The  last  day.  What  will  happen  to  the 
sun,  moon  and  stars  at  the  end  of  the  world?     There  will 


216  APOSTLES'  CREED 

not  be  any  more  sun.  What  begins  when  the  sun  rises? 
The  day.  And  when  is  the  day  over?  When  the  sun 
sets.  And  when  shall  the  sun  not  rise  any  more?  How 
do  you  call  that  day  on  which  the  sun  will  rise  for  the 
last  time  at  the  end  of  the  world?     The  last  day. 

The  resurrection  of  the  dead.  The  bodies  of  the  dead 
will  sleep  in  their  graves  until  the  last  day.  How  long 
then  will  the  bodies  of  the  dead  remain  in  the  ground? 
Until  the  last  day.  What  shall  then  happen  with  all  the 
dead?  They  shall  rise  again.  What  does  your  mother  do 
to  make  you  get  up  in  the  morning?  How  will  the  dead 
be  awakened  ?  Our  Saviour  will  awaken  the  dead.  Whom 
will  He  send  on  earth  to  do  this?  The  angels  seated  on  a 
hurricane;  they  will  ride  quickly  all  over  the  world.  What 
will  they  do  at  the  same  time?  Blow  their  trumpets.  How 
powerful  will  be  the  sound  of  their  trumpets?  Then  there 
will  be  a  stir  in  every  grave.  The  bones  of  each  dead 
body  come  together,  flesh  grows  at  once  over  them,  and 
skin  immediately  covers  the  flesh.  Each  person  gets  his 
own  bones,  flesh,  skin,  etc.,  no  matter  how  long  before  his 
body  rotted  and  fell  to  pieces,  or  how  the  wind  scattered 
the  dust  into  which  the  body  had  fallen.  God  knows  how 
to  bring  all  together  again. 

But  the  soul  is  still  wanting  to  that  body.  Where  does 
the  soul  go  after  death?  The  soul  is  not  buried  in  the 
grave  with  the  body.  How  did  the  body  of  Jesus  get  alive 
again?  In  like  manner  it  will  be  with  us.  God  places 
the  soul  again  into  the  body,  and  makes  the  body  and  soul 
one  again ;  that  is,  He  again  unites  the  body  and  soul  to- 
gether. And  now  the  body  gets  alive  again  and  comes  out 
of  the  grave.  In  this  manner  all  men  shall  rise  again  on 
the  last  day.  Rich  and  poor,  kings  and  beggars,  children 
and  grown  up  persons,  all  shall  rise  at  once  together. 
Therefore  the  last  day  is  called  also  the  day  of  the  general 
resurrection. 

When  Jesus  was  on  earth,  He  raised  three  dead  persons 


RESURRECTION  OF  THE  BODY         217 

to  life :  Lazarus,  a  young  man  and  a  girl.  Jesus  re-united 
their  souls  with  their  bodies.  But  these  three  persons  died 
again.  What  did  their  souls  do,  when  they  died  again? 
They  again  left  their  bodies.  But  when,  at  the  general 
resurrection,  the  souls  of  all  men  are  again  united  to  their 
bodies,  there  shall  be  no  more  separation.  How  long,  then, 
shall  they  remain  united?  Forever.  How  long  will  our 
bodies  remain  in  the  ground?  Until  the  last  day.  What 
will  God  then  do  to  the  body?  Raise  it  up.  With  what 
will  each  body  be  re-united?  With  its  own  soul.  For  how 
long?  Forever.  How  do  we  call  the  general  resurrection 
on  the  last  day?  The  resurrection  of  the  body.  There- 
fore we  say  in  the  Apostles'  Creed :  "  I  believe  in  the 
resurrection  of  the  body." 

The  bodies  of  the  good.  But  how  different  will  the 
bodies  be,  when  they  shall  rise  again !  They  will  not  be 
all  alike.  The  bodies  of  the  good  will  come  out  of  their 
graves  beautiful  like  flowers,  like  the  stars,  bright  and 
shining  like  the  sun,  splendid  like  a  rainbow.  During  their 
life  they  made  good  use  of  their  bodies ;  of  their  tongue 
to  pray,  of  their  hands  to  give  alms  and  to  work  for  God, 
of  their  feet  to  obey  and  go  to  church.  Their  bodies  were 
perhaps  often  sick  and  in  great  pain.  Now  they  are  re- 
warded. Their  bodies  are  no  longer  sick,  or  feel  pain,  or 
die.  They  will  be  as  bright  and  transparent  as  crystal. 
They  will  no  longer  have  to  walk  slowly  and  wearily  on 
the  ground,  but  as  light  and  as  cheerful  as  birds,  they  will 
go  up  in  the  air  and  more  quickly  from  one  place  to  an- 
other. Who  has  had  such  a  body?  What  did  we  call  the 
body  of  Jesus  Christ?  The  bodies  of  the  just  (good) 
shall  also  be  glorified  after  the  general  resurrection. 

What  kind  of  body  will  the  just  have  when  they  shall 
rise  from  their  graves?  In  such  a  glorified  body  will  the 
soul  dwell  forever.  Suppose  a  very  rich  man  would  pre- 
sent you  with  a  beautiful  house  grandly  furnished  and 
ornamented,  and  say  to  you :     "  In  this  grand  building  you 


218  APOSTLES'  CREED 

may  dwell  forever."  Oh,  how  happy  you  would  feel! 
How  much  more  happy  will  the  just  be,  when  they  shall 
have  so  wonderful  and  glorious  a  body  for  their  soul  to 
dwell  in  forever! 

The  bodies  of  the  wicked.  During  their  life  the  wicked 
abused  their  bodies  to  commit  sin;  their  eyes  to  look  at 
bad  things,  their  tongues  to  curse  and  speak  indecently, 
their  feet  to  go  with  evil  companions.  When  a  child  does 
something  wrong,  for  instance,  tells  a  lie,  it  can  be  seen  in 
his  face.  When  he  is  angry  or  envious,  his  face  shows  it 
clearly,  and  betrays  his  guilt.  In  like  manner,  all  the  sins 
of  each  wicked  person  shall  be  seen  as  if  they  were  written 
on  his  forehead.  How  horrible  the  wicked  will  look ! 
Suppose  you  would  now  see  a  corpse  already  corrupt  and 
eaten  by  worms !  Merely  to  think  of  it  disgusts  and 
shocks  us.  But  how  much  worse  and  how  ugly  will  the 
bodies  of  the  wicked  be  at  the  general  resurrection !  What 
a  horrible  sight,  what  a  horrible  stench  will  there  be !  How 
disgusting  will  it  be  for  the  souls  of  the  wicked  to  dwell 
forever  in  such  bodies !  Suppose  you  were  shown  a  hole 
full  of  filth  and  vermin,  and  were  told  you  would  have 
to  live  in  it !  You  would  surely  say :  "  I  would  rather 
die  a  thousand  times  than  live  there !  "  In  like  manner, 
the  souls  of  the  wicked  would  rather  die  than  dwell  in 
such  bodies.  But  they  cannot  die,  and  shall  have  to  dwell 
forever  in  those  horrible  bodies ! 

The  bodies  of  the  good  and  the  wicked,  when  they  rise 
from  the  dead  shall  appear  in  the  same  state  as  were  their 
respective  souls  at  the  hour  of  death.  The  souls  of  the 
good  at  their  death  were  inconceivably  beautiful  and  grand; 
therefore  their  bodies  at  the  resurrection  will  be  glorified 
and  wonderfully  beautiful !  But  the  souls  of  the  wicked 
at  death  were  fearfully  ugly  and  hideous ;  and  so  shall 
their  bodies  also  be  at  the  resurrection.  The  more  hor- 
rible was  the  soul  at  death,  also  the  more  horrible  shall 


DEATH  219 

the  body  be  at  the  resurrection.     (In  like  manner,  the  same 
similarity  between  the  souls  and  bodies  of  the  just.) 

Application.  Now  children,  what  kind  of  body  would 
you  wish  yours  to  be  at  the  general  resurrection?  If  you 
wish  your  body  to  be  then  beautiful  and  glorious,  you  must 
take  care  to  have  a  beautiful  soul  during  your  life  and  at 
your  death.  Not  all  children  can  now  be  beautiful  in 
body,  but  every  child  that  wishes  it  earnestly,  can  become 
wonderfully  beautiful  in  soul.  How?  By  taking  great 
care  to  be  punctually  obedient,  patient  in  suffering,  devout 
at  prayer,  pure  in  thought,  word  and  deed,  truthful,  honest 
and  charitable  towards  all.  Your  body  shall  then  be  won- 
derfully beautiful  at  the  resurrection,  and  forever  remain 
so. 

44.  Death;  Judgment;  Purgatory;  Heaven;  Hell. 

Preparation.  God  said  to  our  first  parents :  "  You 
shall  not  eat  of  the  tree  in  the  middle  of  paradise,  or  else 
you  shall  die."  Our  first  parents  broke  the  commandment 
of  God ;  and  now  all  men  must  die. 

Object.     Let  us  now  see  how  a  man  dies. 

Relation.  A  father  of  family  is  about  to  die.  The 
mother  and  the  children  stand  around  his  bed  and  weep. 
They  light  the  blessed  candle.  The  dying  man  is  in  his 
agony.  There  is  a  cold  perspiration  all  over  his  body. 
His  hands  and  feet  grow  cold.  His  sight  grows  dim ; 
he  hears  the  weeping  of  his  wife  and  children;  he  hears 
also  the  prayers  for  the  departing  soul.  Soon  he  can  hear 
no  longer.  His  heart  still  beats,  but  slower  and  slower, 
weaker  and  weaker ;  it  stops  a  moment,  and  then  beats 
once  more ;  another  longer  stop ;  and  it  beats  once  more, 
then  comes  His  last  gasp,  and  his  soul  has  left  his  body; 
his  heart  is  still ;  he  is  dead. 

Soon  his  corpse  is  prepared  for  burial ;  it  is  cold  and 


220  APOSTLES'  CREED 

stiff ;  it  is  laid  in  the  coffin.  The  priest  comes  and  prays 
over  him;  then  he  is  brought  to  the  church;  and  thence 
to  the  graveyard,  followed  by  his  wife  and  children,  rel- 
atives, friends  praying  for  him.  Whilst  the  coffin  is  laid 
in  the  grave  the  priest  prays  and  blesses  the  corpse  with 
holy  water  and  incense.  The  grave  is  then  filled  up,  and 
all  go  home.  Now  the  dead  man  is  alone  in  his  grave, 
night  and  day  among  the  dead  in  their  graves.  The  corpse 
soon  begins  to  corrupt,  and  continues  to  do  so  until  only 
a  handful  of  dust  is  left. 

Explanation  —  The  soul  leaves  the  body.  Each  of  us 
shall  die  sooner  or  later.  Relate  what  happens  at  death. 
What  happens  to  the  hands  and  feet?  To  the  eyes  and 
the  ears?  To  the  heart?  What  finally  leaves  the  body? 
The  soul  leaves  the  body.  When  God  created  man,  the 
soul  was  not  at  first  in  the  body.  In  what  state  was  the 
body  then?  Lifeless.  What  is  the  body  now  without  the 
soul?  Dead.  At  death  the  body  becomes  cold  and  stiff 
as  at  the  creation  of  the  first  man. 

The  body  returns  to  earth.  Where  is  a  dead  body 
brought?  What  happens  to  it  there?  What  remains  of 
it?  Out  of  what  was  the  body  of  the  first  man  made? 
Of  earth.  And  what  becomes  of  the  body  in  the  end? 
It  returns  to  earth.  After  death  the  body  returns  to  that 
from  which  it  was  taken ;  for  it  returns  to  earth.  What 
happens  to  the  soul  at  death?  At  death  the  soul  leaves 
the  body,  and  the  body  returns  to  earth. 

Object.  I  will  now  relate  to  you  what  becomes  of  the 
soul  immediately  after  death. 

Development.  When  the  soul  is  breathed  out  (leaves 
the  body),  she  looks  at  herself,  and  she  sees  whether  she  is 
in  the  state  of  grace,  or  in  the  state  of  sin,  also  whether 
she  is  perfectly  pure  or  stained  with  venial  sins. 

The  judgment.  The  soul  then  flies  to  God.  God  ex- 
amines the  good  and  bad  deeds  of  the  soul,  that  is,  He 
judges  the  soul.     Where  does  the  soul  go  immediately  after 


PARTICULAR  JUDGMENT  221 

death?  Before  God.  What  does  God  do  with  the  soul? 
God  judges  the  soul. 

Hell.  If  a  man  who  has  committed  a  mortal  sin  dies 
in  it,  his  soul  has  no  longer  sanctifying  grace,  but  is  fear- 
fully defiled  by  sin,  and  is  frightfully  ugly.  God  cannot 
bear  the  sight  of  her.  He  says :  "  Depart  from  Me,  into 
the  everlasting  fire  of  hell  with  the  devils."  And  that 
soul  is  at  once  cast  into  hell.  But  not  all  those  who  com- 
mit mortal  sin  are  cast  into  hell.  Only  he  who  is  not  sorry 
for  his  mortal  sin  and  does  not  confess  it  sincerely,  shall 
be  cast  into  hell.  He  who  dies  with  two  mortal  sins  will 
be  cast  deeper  into  hell,  than  if  he  had  committed  only  one. 
He  who  dies  with  even  only  one  mortal  sin,  shall  surely 
be  cast  into  hell,  whether  he  is  rich  or  poor,  young  or 
old,  a  monarch  or  a  beggar.  Who  are  cast  into  hell?  All 
who  die  in  mortal  sin.  This  happened  to  Judas.  What 
enormous  sin  had  he  committed  ?  What  was  the  last  thing 
he  did?  Hanged  himself;  and  that  was  another  grievous 
sin.     Where  was  he  cast? 

(When  time  is  wanting,  the  following  in  []  may  be 
omitted.) 

[God  holds  a  pair  of  scales  in  His  hand;  before  Him 
are  two  books ;  one  of  gold,  and  the  other  all  black.  In 
these  books  are  written  what  each  man  did  during  his  life. 
In  the  golden  book  is  written  all  the  good  a  man  has  per- 
formed :  all  his  good  thoughts,  all  his  good  words  are 
written  in  it;  none  are  left  out.  Also  all  the  good  he  did, 
such  as:  how  a  child  liked  to  pray,  how  he  was  always 
punctually  obedient,  always  truthful,  etc.  All  this  is  writ- 
ten in  the  golden  book.  But  in  the  black  book  is  written 
all  the  evil  a  man  has  committed.  How  many  thoughts 
a  child  has  every  day !  And  some  are  perhaps  not  good. 
When  a  child  has  a  wilful  bad  thought,  a  thought  of 
anger,  etc.,  it  is  written  in  the  black  book.  In  that  book 
are  found  also  all  his  bad  words,  his  lies,  curses,  etc. 
Every  bad  word  is  marked  down.     In  it  are  found  also 


122  APOSTLES'  CREED 

all  the  evil  things  he  did,  such  as:  praying  without  at- 
tention, neglect  of  prayer  and  study,  disobedience,  stealing, 
striking  others,  missing  Mass  on  Sundays,  eating  meat 
on  Fridays.  All  the  evil  deeds  he  committed  are  written 
in  it. 

Every  sin  is  to  be  punished.  What  is  the  punishment 
for  a  mortal  sin?  For  a  venial  sin?  Also  in  the  black 
book  the  punishments  a  man  deserved  for  each  sin  is 
marked  down.  But  if  he  was  sorry  for  his  sins  and  con- 
fessed them,  his  guardian  angel  effaced  them.  You  may 
imagine  how  large  those  two  books  are!  They  contain  all 
the  good  and  all  the  evil  done  by  all  mankind. 

Let  us  see  how  God  judges  a  soul.  First,  a  soul  that 
has  not  the  garment  of  sanctifying  grace.  There  is  a 
large  ugly  stain  on  her  that  makes  her  look  horrible. 
God  opens  the  golden  book,  in  which  it  is  written  that 
that  soul  during  life  went  to  Mass,  prayed  and  obeyed, 
etc.  Then  He  looks  into  the  black  book,  and  finds  written 
in  it  that  that  soul  committed  mortal  sin,  was  not  sorry 
for  it,  did  not  confess  it,  and  died  in  it.  Now  God  will 
show  which  weighs  more,  the  good  she  did,  or  the  mortal 
sin  she  committed.  He  places  in  one  end  of  the  scales 
all  the  good  she  did,  and  in  the  other  end  the  mortal  sin 
she  committed.  The  end  on  which  the  mortal  sin  is  placed 
is  much  heavier,  for  it  sinks  very  deep.  Which  then 
weighs  more  before  God,  all  the  good  a  man  did,  or  one 
mortal  sin  which  he  committed?  And  therefore  God  con- 
demns that  soul,  saying:  "  Depart  from  Me  into  the  ever- 
lasting fire  of  hell  with  the  devils."  And  that  soul  is  at 
once  cast  into  hell.] 

Heaven.  When  at  the  hour  of  death  a  soul  has  the 
garment  of  sanctifying  grace,  and  comes  to  be  judged  by 
God,  God  examines  her  very  closely,  to  see  whether  she 
is  as  bright  as  the  sun  and  as  white  as  snow  that  has  just 
fallen.  And  if  she  has  some  stains,  or  even  only  one,  she 
cannot  yet  enter  heaven,  for  nothing  defiled  can  enter  there. 


TEMPORAL  PUNISHMENT  OF  SIN      223 

Only  he  who  is  perfectly  pure  and  free  from  the  slightest 
stain  of  sin,  can  be  admitted  into  heaven  immediately  after 
death.  Who,  then,  goes  directly  to  heaven  immediately 
after  death?     Only  he  who  is  perfectly  free  from  all  sin. 

Perhaps  such  a  one  committed  even  many  sins.  But 
he  confessed  them  all,  and  God,  like  a  good  father,  for- 
gave him,  because  he  was  sorry  for  his  sins.  But  the 
father  sometimes  says :  "  I  forgive  you,  but  as  a  punish- 
ment, you  shall  not  go  out  and  play,"  etc.  God  acts  in 
like  manner.  When  He  forgives  a  man's  sins,  He  often 
gives  him  a  punishment  for  them ;  sometimes  it  is  some 
suffering,  some  sickness,  some  misfortune,  some  disappoint- 
ment. Every  one  can  also  impose  on  himself  some  penance 
or  punishment  for  his  sin  ;  for  instance ;  to  say  some  prayers, 
to  hear  a  Mass  on  a  week  day,  to  abstain  from  eating  or 
drinking  between  meals,  etc.  Such  punishments  last  only 
for  a  time;  they  are  called  temporal  punishments.  If  a 
man  bears  such  punishments  with  patience,  he  will  be, 
sooner  or  later,  free  from  all  punishment  for  his  sins. 
And  then  he  is  fit  to  enter  heaven.  To  be  allowed  to  enter 
heaven  we  must  be  free  from  all  sin  whatever,  and  also 
from  all  punishment  due  to  our  sins.  So  long  as  we  still 
owe  temporal  punishment  for  our  sins,  we  cannot  yet  enter 
heaven,  although  all  our  sins  may  have  already  been  for- 
given. The  Blessed  Virgin  at  her  death  went  straight  to 
heaven,  because  she  had  never  in  her  life  committed  the 
slightest  sin.  She  had  no  stain  of  sin;  she  had  never 
deserved  any  temporal  punishment;  therefore  she  was  per- 
fectly fit  to  enter  heaven  immediately  after  her  death. 

Purgatory.  Now  reflect  on  this :  A  soul  appears  be- 
fore the  throne  of  God ;  she  wears  the  garment  of  sanc- 
tifying grace;  she  is  very  dear  to  God.  But  she  is  not 
yet  free  from  every  sin.  There  are  yet  some  little  stains 
of  sin  on  her.  Where  can  that  soul  not  go  yet?  To 
heaven.  But  she  will  not  be  cast  into  hell,  for  she  is  holy. 
Where  will  that  soul  be  sent?    To  purgatory.     Why?     Be- 


224  APOSTLES'  CREED 

cause  she  is  not  yet  free  from  every  sin.  Or  else:  A 
soul  at  death  is  free  from  all  sin,  but  not  yet  from  all 
the  temporal  punishment  which  she  owes  for  her  forgiven 
sins.  Where  can  that  soul  not  yet  enter?  Heaven.  She 
cannot  be  cast  into  hell,  for  she  is  free  from  sin.  She 
also  is  sent  to  purgatory.  And  why?  Because  she  has 
not  yet  paid  all  the  temporal  punishment  she  owes.  There- 
fore two  kinds  of  souls  go  to  purgatory.     Which  are  they? 

What  happens  to  the  souls  in  purgatory?  How  long 
must  they  remain  there?  Until  they  are  perfectly  free 
from  sin  and  from  all  temporal  punishment  due  for  sin. 
Then  and  then  only  can  they  be  admitted  into  heaven. 
That  may  be  a  long,  long  time.  And  in  purgatory  they 
suffer  terrible  pains.  And  they  cannot  help  themselves. 
What  are  these  souls  called? 

The  Particular  Judgment.  Therefore  every  soul  after 
this  life  is  brought  to  God  to  be  judged.  Men  die  every 
day.  Some  will  die  to-day,  others  will  die  to-morrow. 
As  soon  as  a  man  dies,  his  soul  is  at  once  brought  before 
the  throne  of  God  to  be  judged.  Each  man  is  then  judged 
in  particular;  that  is,  separately  from  all  others,  and  this 
at  the  very  moment  of  his  death.  He  who  dies  first  is 
judged  first;  he  who  dies  later,  is  judged  later.  Because 
each  man  is  judged  in  particular  after  his  death,  this  judg- 
ment is  called  the  particular  judgment. 

Summary.  Where  does  the  soul  go  immediately  after 
death?  What  is  the  judgment  called  which  every  soul  then 
undergoes?  Where  does  the  soul  go  after  the  particular 
judgment?  Who  is  cast  into  hell?  Who  goes  directly  to 
heaven?     Who  is  sent  to  purgatory? 

Application.  Suppose  you  would  die  now,  and  your 
soul  would  have  to  appear  now  before  the  judgment-seat 
of  God.  God  would  show  you  all  the  evil  you  have  done 
in  your  whole  life.  All  your  envious,  angry  and  bad 
thoughts ;  all  your  bad,  lying,  abusive  words  and  curses ; 
your  prayers  omitted  or  badly   said,   and  the  evil  things 


PURGATORY  225 

you  have  done.  Your  guardian  angel  will  accuse  you  of 
not  having  listened  to  him.  O  woe,  woe !  What  would 
then  happen  to  you?  Where  would  you  be  cast,  if  your 
soul  was  stained  with  a  mortal  sin?  What  a  terrible  mis- 
fortune this  would  be  for  you !  You  would  be  cast  into 
hell  with  all  the  devils  and  wicked  men.  In  hell  a  terrible 
fire  burns  forever.     The  pains  of  hell  are  most  horrible. 

Therefore,  dear  children,  be  sure  never  to  commit  a 
mortal  sin.  Rather  suffer  everything,  even  death  itself, 
than  commit  a  mortal  sin.  If  necessary,  rather  suffer  a 
great  sickness  and  even  die  a  painful  death,  in  order  to 
avoid  mortal  sin,  for  you  shall  then  surely  go  to  heaven. 
Sickness  and  death  cannot  injure  you;  but  one  mortal  sin 
suffices  to  send  you  to  hell,  where  you  would  be  forever 
miserable.     Therefore,  children,  no  mortal  sin ! 

Take  care  also  not  to  be  obliged  to  stay  long  in  purgatory. 
What  sins  will  bring  you  to  purgatory?  For  instance, 
praying  carelessly,  disobedience,  telling  lies,  quarreling, 
stealing  little  things.  Many  children  make  no  account  of 
little  faults.  They  say :  "  Oh,  I  shall  not  go  to  hell  for 
that."  How  foolish  to  say  that!  If  you  shall  not  go  to 
hell  for  that,  you  shall  go  to  purgatory,  where  the  suffer- 
ings are  greater  than  any  suffering  in  this  world.  Suppose 
a  man  steals  a  dollar,  saying :  "  I  shall  not  be  hanged  for 
that,  but  I  shall  have  to  go  to  the  penitentiary  for  some 
months  at  least."  Does  he  act  reasonably?  How  much 
more  foolish  is  the  light-minded  child,  who  is  not  afraid 
to  commit  venial  sin.  Purgatory  is  a  thousand  times  more 
to  be  feared  than  the  penitentiary. 

Be  therefore  on  your  guard  against  little  faults.  Many 
a  child  is  now  burning  in  purgatory,  weeping  and  thinking: 
"  Oh,  had  I  prayed  better,  been  more  obedient,  never  told 
lies,  etc.,  I  would  not  have  to  suffer  such  terrible  pains ; 
but  I  would  now  be  already  in  heaven  happy  with  God." 
But  that  child  has  to  continue  to  suffer  perhaps  for  weeks 
and    months,    and    even    longer!     Therefore,    children,    be 


226  APOSTLES'  CREED 

reasonable,  and  avoid  all  that  would  later  on  cause  you 
fearful  pains  in  purgatory.  And  when  you  suffer  some 
pain,  or  are  sick,  be  patient  and  think :  "  I  will  suffer 
these  pains  for  my  sins,  that  I  may  not  suffer  so  much 
in  purgatory." 

45.  The  General  Judgment. 

Preparation.  After  the  general  resurrection  Jesus 
Christ  will  come  again  upon  earth.  When  did  He  come 
the  first  time?  When  did  He  leave  the  earth?  When  He 
ascended  into  heaven.  Where  is  He  now?  What  place 
has  He  in  heaven?  He  is  seated  at  the  right  hand  of 
God  the  Father  Almighty.  From  thence  He  will  come 
after  the  general  resurrection  again  on  earth.  Wrhat  did 
the  two  angels  say  about  this  to  the  apostles  at  the  As- 
cension of  our  Saviour?  Which  coming  of  Jesus  will  that 
be?     The  second. 

Object.  I  will  tell  you  to-day  what  will  happen  when 
Jesus  Christ  will  come  again  on  earth. 

Relation.  Jesus  told  His  apostles  what  would  happen 
at  His  second  coming.  He  said:  "The  Son  of  man  shall 
come  in  His  glory,  and  all  the  angels  with  Him.  Then 
He  shall  sit  on  the  throne  of  His  glory.  All  the  nations 
of  the  earth  shall  be  assembled  before  Him.  And  He  shall 
separate  them  as  a  shepherd  separates  the  sheep  from  the 
goats.  He  shall  place  the  sheep  on  His  right  hand,  and 
the  goats  on  His  left.  Then  the  King  shall  say  to  those 
on  His  right  hand:  Come,  ye  blessed  of  My  Father,  and 
possess  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the  beginning 
of  the  world.  But  to  those  on  His  left  the  King  shall 
say:  Depart  from  Me,  ye  cursed,  into  the  everlasting  fire 
which  was  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels.  And 
these  shall  go  into  everlasting  punishment,  but  the  others 
into  life  everlasting." 

Explanation  —  The   first   and    the   second    coming   of 


GENERAL  JUDGMENT  227 

Jesus.  The  second  coming  of  Jesus  will  be  very  different 
from  the  first.  Jesus  came  the  first  time  as  a  lovely,  poor, 
helpless  infant,  for  He  was  born  in  a  stable  at  Bethlehem. 
For  the  love  of  us  He  there  made  Himself  little  and  poor. 
Many  thought  that  they  needed  not  to  follow  Him,  and 
that  they  could  mock  Him.  But  how  will  Jesus,  the  Son 
of  man,  come  upon  earth  the  second  time?  He  shall  come 
in  His  glory,  seated  upon  the  clouds,  and  the  clouds  around 
Him  shall  shine  as  the  dawn  of  day,  and  our  Saviour's  body 
will  be  as  bright  as  the  sun,  and  a  large  fiery  cross  shall 
be  placed  before  Him. 

The  first  time  Jesus  came  quietly  during  the  night;  only 
a  few  knew  of  His  birth.  Who  will  be  with  Jesus  when 
He  shall  come  the  second  time  upon  earth  ?  All  the  angels 
of  heaven  shall  comewith  Him.  All  the  angels  that  came 
and  appeared  near  Bethlehem  and  sang  their  joyful  hymn, 
and  millions  and  millions  of  other  angels  shall  come  with 
our  Saviour.  These  countless  angels  are  called  a  great 
host,  a  great  power.  Hence  Jesus  shall  come  with  great 
power. 

At  His  first  coming  Jesus  lay  in  a  manger  (crib).  Where 
shall  He  be  placed  at  His  second  coming?  He  shall  sit 
on  the  throne  of  His  glory,  that  is,  on  a  glorious  throne. 
In  what  capacity  will  He  come,  since  He  is  seated  on  a 
throne?  As  King  of  heaven  and  earth.  A  king's  throne 
is  surrounded  by  many  noblemen  and  many  noble  ladies, 
who  form  his  court.  Who  form  the  court  of  the  heavenly 
King?  The  angels.  When  our  Saviour  is  seated  on  his 
throne,  the  wounds  of  His  hands,  feet  and  side  shall  be 
seen  by  all  men.  They  will  be  as  beautiful  as  roses  in 
full  bloom,  and  will  shine  as  bright  as  the  stars. 

At  our  Lord's  first  coming  only  a  few  shepherds  and 
wise  men  came  to  venerate  Him.  Who  shall  be  assembled 
before  Him  at  His  second  coming?  All  the  nations  of 
the  earth  shall  be  assembled  before  Jesus.  Americans, 
Europeans,  etc. ;  that  is,  all  the  men  who  shall  have  lived 


228  APOSTLES'  CREED 

on  earth  from  Adam  to  the  end  of  the  world,  shall  be 
assembled  before  Jesus.  All  of  us  shall  be  there  also. 
From  every  direction  men  in  great  numbers  shall  come 
there.  The  good  with  their  glorified  bodies  shall  fly  there 
swiftly,  full  of  joy.  It  will  be  a  long  procession,  almost 
without  end,  for  there  will  be  so  many.  Their  angels  also 
shall  joyfully  accompany  them.  When  the  just  shall  see 
our  Saviour  so  bright  and  resplendent,  seated  on  the  throne 
of  His  glory,  they  shall  wonder  greatly,  and  shall  begin  to 
praise  Him,  singing  beautiful  canticles.  In  the  Apostles' 
Creed  the  just  are  called  "  the  living,"  and  the  wicked  are 
called  "  the  dead." 

But  the  wicked  with  their  heavy,  swollen,  ugly  bodies, 
will  be  unwilling  to  approach  our  divine  Saviour.  He 
will  appear  terrible  to  them.  Woe  to  them !  This  Jesus, 
in  whom  they  would  not  believe,  whom  they  reviled,  whom 
they  offended  and  outraged  by  their  sins,  is  now  seated 
on  His  glorious  throne  as  King  and  Judge  of  all  men. 
When  Jesus  was  an  infant,  He  had  to  flee  from  Herod 
into  Egypt.  And  now  Herod  and  all  the  wicked  would 
wish  to  flee  away  from  the  Saviour.  Oh,  if  they  could 
only  crawl  into  the  ground !  They  would  be  only  too  glad, 
if  they  could  only  die  and  cease  to  exist !  Therefore  they 
shall  call  upon  the  hills  and  mountains :  "  Ye  mountains 
fall  over  us ;  ye  hills  cover  and  hide  us."  But  that  is  not 
possible.  The  wicked  can  die  no  more.  They  must  ap- 
pear before  the  Saviour  on  His  throne.  The  devils  drive 
and  push  them  forward,  as  a  herd  of  unclean  animals,  to 
the  judgment-seat  of  the  Saviour. 

Why  did  the  Saviour  come  the  first  time  upon  earth? 
To  redeem  all  men.  The  second  time  He  shall  come  to 
judge  all  men.  After  the  general  resurrection  He  shall 
come  to  judge  the  living  and  the  dead,  the  just  and  the 
wicked. 

On  what  day  will  Jesus  come  to  judge  all  men?  On 
the  last  day;  the  day  of  the  general  judgment.     You  have 


GENERAL  JUDGMENT  229 

heard  of  another  judgment  in  which  our  Saviour  judges 
each  man.  What  is  it  called?  The  particular  judgment. 
When  does  it  take  place?  In  it  each  one  is  judged  alone. 
But  at  the  general  judgment  how  shall  men  be  judged? 
All  men  together.  How  is  this  judgment  called?  The 
last  judgment,  the  general  judgment. 

The  manifestation  of  the  consciences.  All  men  that  have 
ever  lived  up  to  the  end  of  the  world  are  assembled  be- 
fore the  throne  of  the  Son  of  God  to  be  judged.  What 
shall  be  seen  on  the  bodies  of  the  wicked?  Their  sins. 
All  the  sins  committed  by  each  man  during  his  whole  life 
shall  be  clearly  seen  on  his  body.  Even  those  sins  children 
committed  when  alone,  when  they  thought:  "  Nobody  sees 
me."  How  untrue !  God  saw  it,  and  at  the  general  judg- 
ment all  men  shall  see  it.  Suppose  a  child,  all  alone,  com- 
mitted some  sin,  something  shameful ;  and  then  every- 
body would  find  it  out !  How  ashamed  he  would  feel ! 
But  it  will  be  a  much  greater  shame  for  him  at  the  last 
day,  when  all  mankind  shall  know  all  the  shameful  things 
he  did !  Known  to  his  parents,  brothers  and  sisters,  to 
the  priest,  etc.,  who  always  believed  that  child  to  be  good 
and  pure !  And  now  they  find  out  how  bad  and  deceitful 
he  was !  What  a  shame  for  him !  But  if  that  child  was 
sorry  for  his  sins  and  made  a  good  confession,  those  sins 
will  not  harm  him. 

Also  all  the  good  each  one  has  done  during  his  whole 
life  shall  be  manifested  to  all  mankind.  For  instance,  that 
child's  piety,  his  hearing  Mass  on  week  days  also,  his  obe- 
dience, his  modesty,  truthfulness,  patience,  etc.,  shall  be 
known  to  all  men.  Oh,  what  an  honor,  what  a  joy  for  that 
child ! 

The  separation.  At  first  all  men  will  be  mingled  to- 
gether before  the  Saviour's  throne;  the.  beautiful  bright 
bodies  of  the  just  (the  living)  shall  be  mixed  up  among 
the  horrible  disgusting  bodies  of  the  wicked  (the  dead). 
But  they  do  not  fit  together.     What  will  our  Saviour  do? 


230  APOSTLES'  CREED 

He  shall  separate  them  as  a  shepherd  separates  the  sheep 
from  the  goats.  The  goats  are  stubborn;  they  will  not 
follow  the  shepherd,  and  give  no  peace  to  the  sheep.  There- 
fore the  shepherd  removes  the  quarrelsome  goats  from  the 
peaceful  and  obedient  sheep;  in  other  words:  The  shep- 
herd separates  the  goats  from  the  sheep.  In  like  manner, 
at  the  general  judgment  our  Saviour  shall  separate  the 
disobedient,  wicked  sinners  from  the  good  and  obedient 
just.  On  which  side  will  He  place  the  good?  On  His 
right.     And  the  wicked?     On  His  left. 

The  sentence.  The  reward  of  the  just.  What  shall  the 
King  say  to  those  who  are  on  His  right  hand?  "Come, 
ye  blessed  of  My  Father,  and  possess  the  kingdom  pre- 
pared for  you  since  .the  foundation  of  the  world.  Come 
to  Me,  into  My  arms,  to  My  Heart !  You  shall  be  blessed 
and  happy.  You  have  been  good,  pious  children  of  the 
heavenly  Father.  Come  now  to  your  Father  in  heaven; 
possess  that  kingdom  of  happiness ;  it  is  yours ;  it  has 
been  prepared  for  you  since  the  beginning  of  the  world, 
for  in  the  beginning  God  created  heaven  and  earth.  So 
dear  were  you  to  the  Father  Almighty  in  heaven,  that  when 
He  created  the  world,  He  already  created  the  beautiful 
heaven  for  you."  Oh,  how  the  good  will  rejoice  when 
hearing  these  welcome  words  of  our  divine  Saviour ! 

The  punishment  of  the  wicked.  What  will  the  King 
say  to  those  on  His  left  hand  ?  "  Depart  from  Me,  ye 
cursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  which  was  prepared  for  the 
devil  and  his  angels.  Depart  from  Me;  away  with  you; 
I  do  not  wish  to  see  you  any  more,  you  wicked ;  you  are 
cursed;  no  more  shall  you  see  Me.  And  yet  how  good  I 
have  been  to  you !  For  you  I  suffered ;  for  you  I  died, 
that  you  might  all  come  with  Me  to  heaven.  But  you 
would  not.  You  were  so  wicked ;  you  would  not  be  sorry 
for  your  sins.  Therefore  away  with  you  into  the  ever- 
lasting fire  of  hell."  Who  is  in  that  fire?  And  who  else? 
And  the  other  wicked  angels.     Therefore,  "  away  with  you 


GENERAL  JUDGMENT  231 

into  the  everlasting  fire  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his 
angels."  Now  the  wicked  utter  terrible  screams.  They 
would  wish  to  implore  God  for  mercy.  But  now  it  is 
of  no  use.  Then  the  earth  shall  be  opened,  and  the  wicked 
shall  be  cast  down  into  hell !  Where  shall  the  wicked  go 
after  the  general  judgment?  Into  hell!  But  the  good 
shall  accompany  Jesus,  Mary  and  the  angels  into  heaven. 
What  a  glorious  procession!  Where  shall  the  good  go 
after  the  general  judgment?     To  heaven. 

The  last  judgment  and  the  harvest.  At  the  general  judg- 
ment the  same  will  happen  as  at  the  harvest.  The  chaff 
shall  be  separated  from  the  wheat,  and  be  put  aside. 
What  shall  be  done  with  it?  It  shall  be  burnt.  And  what 
is  done  with  the  wheat?  It  is  placed  in  the  granary.  This 
is  what  happens  at  the  harvest.  Which  kind  of  men  are 
like  the  chaff?  What  shall  be  done  with  the  wicked  after 
the  general  judgment?  They  are  cast  into  the  fire  of  hell. 
And  where  shall  the  good  be  placed?  In  heaven.  And 
how  long  shall  heaven  and  hell  last?     For  all  eternity. 

The  heaven  of  the  good.  All  joy.  Oh,  how  beautiful  is 
heaven?  In  heaven  there  are  millions  and  millions  of 
beautiful  angels.  There  you  shall  see  your  good  guardian 
angel.  How  you  will  rejoice  with  him !  He  will  feel 
happy,  because  he  helped  you  to  go  to  heaven.  You  shall 
see  also  an  immense  number  of  beautiful  saints  in  heaven. 
I  feel  confident  that  you  shall  find  among  them  your  parents, 
brothers  and  sisters,  relatives,  etc.  How  happy  you  will 
be  to  meet  them  and  never  more  to  be  separated  from 
them !  In  heaven  you  shall  see  also  the  Blessed  Virgin 
very  near  the  throne  of  God.  How  glad  you  will  be  to 
go  to  her,  to  thank  her,  to  kiss  her  hand  and  to  be  allowed 
to  call  her  your  Mother!  But  your  greatest  joy  in  heaven 
shall  be  to  see  God  in  His  infinite  beauty,  and  to  love  Him 
with  your  whole  heart.  You  shall  never  tire  seeing  His 
beauty,  which  will  enrapture  you  as  it  will  enrapture  all 
the  saints  and  angels  in  heaven  for  all  eternity.     You  shall 


232  APOSTLES'  CREED 

have  in  heaven  everything  you  can  wish  for.  In  heaven 
all  is  pleasure  and  joy. 

No  suffering.  On  earth  you  may  have  often  wept.  In 
heaven  God  Himself  will  wipe  away  all  your  tears.  There 
shall  be  no  pain,  no  suffering  there;  no  grief,  no  sorrow, 
no  troubles;  but  perfect  happiness,  which  lasts  forever, 
and  is  called  life  everlasting.  Therefore  we  say  in  the 
Apostles'  Creed :     "  I  believe  in  life  everlasting." 

The  hell  of  the  damned;  nothing  but  pain  and  suffering. 
How  much  you  dread  fire !  You  cry  even  when  you  burn 
your  finger  a  little.  How  you  would  cry  and  scream,  if 
your  whole  hand  would  burn  for  some  minutes  in  the 
stove !  How  frightful  it  would  be,  if  you  were  thrown 
into  a  large  fire  or  a  furnace.  The  pain  would  be  hor- 
rible. (St.  Laurence  roasted  by  slow  fire  on  a  gridiron.) 
But  all  that  would  not  be  the  fire,  the  torments  of  hell ! 
And  in  hell  the  whole  body  of  a  damned  person  is  always 
burning,  and  never  burnt  up ! 

No  joy,  no  pleasure.  No  matter  how  unhappy  is  a  per- 
son on  earth,  he  always  has  something  that  gives  him 
pleasure.  His  parents,  relatives  or  friends  console  him ; 
or  there  is  the  thought  that  he  will  soon  get  well,  get  out 
of  his  troubles.  Or  he  thinks:  "If  I  die,  I  shall  have 
peace,  or  rest."  He  can  pray  God  to  take  him  soon  to 
heaven.  But  in  hell  there  is  nothing  that  can  give  him 
the  least  pleasure.  There  is  no  one  to  cast  on  him  a  look 
of  love  or  sympathy.  No  one  to  speak  a  kind  word  to 
him,  or  to  encourage  him ;  no  one  to  give  him  the  least 
hope.  There  is  no  heart  that  loves  him  or  cares  for  him. 
Those  that  loved  him  in  life,  have  forgotten  him,  or  curse 
him,  whenever  they  think  of  him.  Who  can  live  without 
love  or  sympathy? 

For  all  eternity.  The  damned  know  that  never  shall 
there  be  any  change  or  improvement  in  their  state.  Their 
bodies  are  always  burning,  but  are  never  consumed.  Thou- 
sands and  millions  of  years  shall  come  and  pass  away,  and 


ETERNITY  233 

they  shall  bum  all  that  time,  and  shall  continue  to  burn 
forever  after  that! 

Have  you  ever  seen  a  canary  bird  sharpening  his  bill 
on  the  wire  of  his  cage?  Now  listen.  In  a  country  far 
from  here,  there  is  a  large  mountain.  It  is  about  five  miles 
long,  five  miles  wide  and  five  miles  high,  and  is  all  of  hard 
stone.  To  this  mountain  a  bird  flies  once  every  thousand 
years  and  rubs  his  bill  on  it.  Now  how  many  thousands 
of  years  will  it  take  that  bird  to  wear  out  that  mountain 
with  his  bill  ?  No  one  can  tell.  But  if  the  damned  in  hell 
were  told :  '  When  that  bird  shall  have  worn  out  that 
large  mountain  with  his  bill,  you  shall  come  out  of  hell," 
they  would  cheer  so  loud  as  to  be  heard  in  heaven !  But, 
dear  children,  when  that  bird  would  have  worn  out  that 
mountain  with  his  bill,  the  damned  would  not  have  one 
minute  less  to  suffer  in  hell !  They  turn  about  in  the 
flames  of  hell  in  horrible  pains ;  they  groan,  they  weep, 
they  howl  and  curse !  And  this  shall  continue  for  all  eter- 
nity, and  eternity  has  no  end. 

Summary.  At  the  general  judgment  Jesus  Christ  will 
come  again  upon  earth  to  judge  all  men.  Therefore  we 
say  in  the  Apostles'  Creed :  "  From  thence  He  shall 
come  to  judge  the  living  and  the  dead."  The  judgment 
at  the  end  of  the  world  is  called  the  last  or  general  judg- 
ment. When  the  judgment  shall  be  over,  the  wicked  shall 
be  cast  into  hell,  and  the  good  shall  be  taken  up  to  heaven. 
In  heaven  there  is  no  pain,  no  suffering,  but  all  pleasure 
and  joy  forever !  This  is  called  life  everlasting.  There- 
fore we  say  in  the  Apostles'  Creed:  "I  believe  in  life 
everlasting.  Amen."  But  in  hell  there  is  nothing  but  pain 
and  suffering,  and  not  the  least  joy  or  pleasure;  hell  lasts 
forever. 

Application.  Dear  children,  do  you  wish  to  be  cast 
into  hell?  WTiat  a  terrible  misfortune  that  would  be! 
But  if  you  were  to  commit  one  mortal  sin,  and  should 
die  before  you  repent  of  it,  you  shall  be  surely  cast  into 


234  APOSTLES'  CREED 

the  everlasting  fire  of  hell !  Therefore,  children,  never 
commit  a  mortal  sin.  Rather  suffer  all,  rather  die  imme- 
diately than  commit  a  mortal  sin  and  deserve  to  be  cast 
into  hell ! 

Where  do  you  all  wish  to  go?  But  what  must  you  do 
to  go  to  heaven?  Is  not  heaven  worth  doing  all  that? 
To  gain  heaven  you  ought  to  find  nothing  too  great  or 
too  difficult.  So  many  other  children  have  done  it  all, 
and  why  should  not  you  also  be  able  to  do  it?  Therefore 
avoid  sin,  always  do  your  duty,  and  often  say  to  your- 
selves :     "I  will  do  my  best  to  get  a  high  place  in  heaven !  " 


PART  II 
THE  COMMANDMENTS  OF  GOD. 


1.  The  Commandment  of  the  Love  of  God. 

i.  Object.  I  will  teach  you  to-day  why  we  should  love 
God,  and  how  much  we  should  love  Him.  One  day  a 
lawyer  came  to  Jesus  and  asked  Him :  "  Master,  what 
must  I  do  to  gain  heaven  ?  "  Jesus  answered :  "  Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  with  all 
thy  soul,  with  all  thy  mind  and  with  all  thy  strength." 

2.  Explanation,  a.  Paternal  Goodness  —  Body.  It 
is  so  easy  and  so  beautiful  to  love  God.  For  God  is  our 
good  Father.  He  created  us;  otherwise  we  should  not 
be  in  this  world.  God  gave  us  a  beautiful  body.  Our 
body  has  two  eyes  to  see.  Whence  do  they  come?  How 
unfortunate  should  we  not  be,  if  we  were  blind.  God  gave 
us  also  two  ears,  that  we  may  willingly  listen  to  our 
parents  and  teachers.  What  else  has  God  given  us  in  our 
body?  A  mouth,  hands  and  feet.  A  mouth  and  tongue 
that  we  may  ask  questions,  express  our  thoughts,  laugh 
and  sing,  pray  and  praise  the  God  in  heaven  whom  we 
love. 

God  has  given  you  hands  to  work  diligently,  and  feet 
to  go  where  duty  directs.  You  have  also  in  your  breast 
a  heart,  though  small,  which  beats  joyfully.  Do  you  know 
where  your  heart  is?  Our  good  God  gave  you  a  heart 
to  love  and  life  itself. 

What  do  all  these  good  gifts  prove?  That  God  loves 
us.  And  every  day  God,  like  a  good  father,  loves  you 
and  cares  for  you.  From  the  highest  heaven,  where  the 
angels  dwell,  God  looks  down  upon  every  child  with  pleas- 
ure. He  gives  it  its  daily  bread,  and  helps  it  in  all  its 
troubles  and  wants.  Through  whom  does  He  give  you 
your  daily  bread?     Through  your  parents.     He  gave  you 

237 


238  THE  COMMANDMENTS 

your  parents  also,  that,  in  His  stead,  they  may  care  for 
you.  And  that  they  may  do  this  well,  He  has  placed  in 
their  heart  a  great  love  for  you.  No  one  on  earth  loves 
you  as  much  as  your  parents.  Enumerate  all  the  good 
God  has  done  for  your  body.  Every  corporal  good  we 
have  comes  from  God. 

Soul.  And  what  did  God  breathe  into  your  body?  An 
immortal  soul.  In  whose  image  did  God  create  your  soul? 
How  beautiful  was  your  soul  then !  Who  entered  your 
heart  when  you  were  baptized?  And  what  did  He  bring 
to  your  soul?  Your  soul  became  then  much  more  beau- 
tiful; she  became  holy.  And  God  wills  that  your  soul 
should  remain  beautiful  and  holy.  And  whom  did  He 
place  by  your  side  to  guard  and  protect  you?  Your  guard- 
ian angel  accompanies  you  at  every  step,  at  every  motion. 
Where  is  your  guardian  angel  to  bring  you  after  your 
death  ?  There  you  shall  always  be  happy.  You  see  now 
all  the  good  God  has  done  for  your  soul.  Enumerate  it 
all.     All  good  comes  from  God. 

Heart.  What  does  a  child  feel  for  his  father  and  mother, 
because  they  give  him  so  many  good  things  ?  Love.  From 
whom  do  we  receive  all  that  is  good?  From  God.  What 
do  we  owe  to  God  for  it?  Love.  Therefore  we  must  love 
God,  because  all  good  things  come  from  Him.  We  love 
God  in  the  same  way  as  we  love  our  parents.  When  your 
mother  says  to  you :  "  Show  me  where  you  love  me," 
you  show  her  your  heart.  We  love  with  our  heart.  We 
love  God  also  with  our  heart.  Therefore  God  says  to  each 
one  of  you :  '  My  child,  give  Me  thy  heart."  And  our 
Saviour  commands  us :  "  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  thy  whole  heart." 

b.  Love  of  the  Son.  I  will  now  tell  you  why  God 
still  more  deserves  our  love.  God  the  Father  has  given 
us  what  was  dearest  to  Him.  He  sent  His  Son  upon  the 
earth ;  and  God  the  Son  bestowed  on  us  all  His  love. 
What  was  God  the  Son  going  to  do  for  us?     To  suffer 


LOVE  OF  GOD  239 

and  die.  Which  of  you  would  be  willing  to  suffer  and 
die  for  some  one  else?  But  what  none  of  you  would  be 
willing  to  do  for  some  one  else,  our  divine  Saviour  did  for 
the  love  of  us.  For  the  love  of  us  our  Saviour  underwent 
a  death-agony  and  sweat  blood.  For  the  love  of  us  He 
allowed  Himself  to  be  fearfully  scourged.  For  the  love 
of  us  He  allowed  a  crown  of  sharp  thorns  to  be  pressed 
down  on  His  head.  For  the  love  of  us  He  carried  a  heavy 
cross  and  allowed  Himself  to  be  nailed  to  it.  On  what  day 
did  our  loving  Saviour  suffer  and  die  for  us?  On  Good 
Friday.  On  that  day  the  crucifix  is  placed  on  a  black 
cloth  spread  out  on  the  floor,  and  the  faithful,  and  the 
children  likewise,  kneel  down  before  it  to  venerate  our 
Saviour. 

Sorrow.  And  when  we  consider  our  loving  Saviour's 
pale  features,  His  head  crowned  with  thorns,  his  eyes  cov- 
ered with  blood,  his  bloodless  lips,  and  the  cruel  wounds 
in  His  hands  and  feet  and  in  His  side,  we  feel  compelled 
to  say :  "  O  Jesus,  Thou  didst  suffer  too  much  for  me, 
a  poor  child;  it  pains  too  much  even  my  sinful  heart." 
And  then  we  feel  our  heart  moved,  deeply  moved.  This 
feeling  of  sorrow  sometimes  increases  so  as  to  cause  many 
to  shed  tears,  and  even  to  sob  aloud.  And  then  they  bend 
over  to  kiss  tenderly  the  Saviour's  wounds  in  His  hands, 
feet  and  side. 

When  we  kiss  some  one,  what  do  we  intend  to  show? 
What  do  we  intend  to  show  to  our  Saviour  by  kissing  His 
wounds?  That  we  love  Him.  And  wherefrom  did  our 
love  and  sorrow  arise?  From  our  heart;  from  our  feel- 
ings. But  it  is  the  consideration  of  our  mind  that  causes 
various  feelings  to  arise,  spring  up  in  our  heart,  that  causes 
us  to  compassionate  with  our  suffering  Saviour,  and  to 
resolve  never  again  to  displease  Him  by  committing  sin. 

Joy.  Where  will  our  soul  go  after  our  death?  To 
heaven.  In  heaven  you  will  see  our  divine  Saviour  in 
His   glorified   body.     He   will   look   lovingly   at   you,    and 


240  THE  COMMANDMENTS 

His  five  wounds  will  shine  as  bright  blooming  roses.  How 
beautiful  will  that  be?  What  will  then  be  your  feelings? 
Feelings  of  love  and  joy,  like  those  of  the  angels.  We 
rejoice  also  on  earth  over  our  Lord.  How  do  the  angels 
express  their  joy?  They  sing.  What  beautiful  hymn  do 
they  sing  continually?  "Holy,  holy,"  etc.  And  how  can 
we  express  our  joy  with  regard  to  God?  We  can  rejoice 
in  our  mind,  in  our  feelings.  Where  are  our  feelings? 
When  we  rejoice  very  much,  our  heart  begins  to  beat. 
Yes,  our  heart  leaps,  as  it  were,  for  joy.  Love  and  joy 
warm  up  our  heart,  and  even  cause  it  to  grow  hot,  for 
people  say :  "  My  heart  burns  with  love  and  joy."  And 
thus  we  observe  our  Saviour's  commandment :  "  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  mind."  How  should 
we  love  God?  What  commandment  did  our  Saviour  give 
us? 

c.  Supreme  Good — The  highest,  the  best.  How  good 
must  God  be,  since  He  loves  men  so  excessively !  How 
good  is  a  mother  towards  her  child !  It  cannot  be  ex- 
pressed. The  angels  are  far  better  than  a  mother,  than 
all  men.  Who  is  the  best  among  all  angels  and  all  men? 
Oh,  how  good  is  Mary!  But  God  is  infinitely  better  than 
Mary  and  all  angels  and  men.  Mary  and  the  angels  and 
saints  are  not  so  good  and  holy  of  themselves.  Who  was 
with  Mary,  when  the  angel  saluted  her?  And  who  came 
down  over  Mary.  God  helped  also  all  the  other  saints  to 
be  good  and  holy.  But  does  any  one  help  God  to  be  so 
good  and  so  holy  ?  No ;  God  is  good  in  Himself ;  God 
possesses  all  good  in  Himself.  W'hatever  good  there  is  in 
men,  in  the  angels,  in  Mary  and  in  all  the  saints,  they  re- 
ceived it  all  from  God.  And  God  has  infinitely  more  in 
Himself.  There  is  nothing  in  heaven  and  on  earth  that 
is  so  good  as  God.  Therefore  our  Saviour  said :  "  God 
alone  is  good."  Hence  we  call  God  the  highest  and  the 
best  good. 

Beautiful.     If   I   could   only  tell   you   how   beautiful   is 


LOVE  OF  GOD  241 

God.  How  beautiful  is  the  sun!  And  how  do  the  stars 
twinkle  so  friendly  at  night !  And  are  not  the  flowers 
beautiful?  What  is  there  beautiful  in  the  sun,  in  the  stars? 
And  what  pleases  us  so  much  in  the  flowers?  How  beautiful 
must  not  God  be,  who  has  made  them  all?  What  there  is 
bright  in  the  sun,  what  twinkles  in  the  stars,  what  is  beau- 
tiful in  the  flowers,  in  Mary,  in  all  the  angels  and  saints, 
they  have  all  received  it  from  God.  And  all  that  is  in- 
finitely more  beautiful  in  God.  There  is  nothing  more 
beautiful  than  God ;  hence  we  say :  "  God  is  the  most 
beautiful  good." 

Most  lovely.  What  should  we  feel  towards  God  on  ac- 
count of  His  unsurpassable  beauty  and  goodness?  Love 
and  joy.  You  love  your  mother  very  much,  and  why? 
Your  mother  deserves  your  love,  for  she  is  lovable  or 
lovely.  But  Mary  is  much  better  and  more  beautiful  than 
your  mother  and  all  the  angels  and  saints.  And  what  does 
she  deserve  much  more  than  they?  She  is  much  more 
lovely  and  deserving  of  love  than  they.  Who  is  the  best 
and  most  beautiful  of  all  in  heaven  and  on  earth?  God. 
What,  then,  does  He  deserve  more  than  every  one  else? 
He  deserves  our  love  more  than  any  one  else.  He  is, 
therefore,  the  most  lovely  of  all.  (Repetition  of  the 
highest,  the  best,  the  most  beautiful,  the  most  lovely.)  We 
must  love  God  because  He  is  the  highest  (supreme),  the 
best,  the  most  beautiful,  the  most  lovely  good. 

Soul.  He  who  loves  God  is  often  with  God  in  his 
thoughts  and  takes  pleasure  in  God.  With  what  do  we 
think?  Who  is  it  that  thinks  with  the  mind?  The  soul. 
Which  part  of  yourselves  must  be  with  God  in  loving  Him? 
Our  soul.  Therefore  our  Saviour  commands  us:  'Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  thy  whole  soul."  With 
what  else  must  we  also  love  God?  With  our  heart,  with 
our  mind. 

Whole.  We  must,  then,  love  God  with  our  heart,  with 
our   mind,    with    our    soul.     What    other   word    does    our 


242  THE  COMMANDMENTS 

Saviour  place  before  heart,  mind  and  soul?  The  word 
whole.  We  should  love  God  with  our  whole  heart,  that 
is,  we  should  love  God  with  our  whole  heart  more  than 
anything  else,  as  much  as  we  can.  We  should  love  God 
with  our  whole  soul,  that  is,  we  should  think  on  God 
more  than  on  anything  else,  as  often  as  we  can.  We 
should  love  God  with  our  whole  mind,  that  is,  we  should 
rejoice  about  God  more  than  about  anything  else,  as  much 
as  we  can.  But  with  our  little  heart  and  our  soul  and  our 
mind,  we  are  far  from  loving  God  as  much  as  He  deserves. 
Would  that  we  had  thousands  of  hearts  more  wherewith 
to  love  God,  and  thousands  of  souls  to  think  on  Him,  and 
thousands  of  minds  to  rejoice  over  Him. 

All  our  strength.  We  should  love  God  with  all  that  we 
are  and  with  all  that  we  have,  our  eyes,  ears,  mouth, 
tongue,  hands  and  feet,  with  all  that  is  within  and  without 
us;  in  a  word,  we  should  love  God  our  Lord  with  all  our 
strength,  for  our  Saviour  commands :  "  Thou  shalt  love 
the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  strength." 

3.  Summary.  Tell  me  again  with  what  we  should  love 
God.  With  our  heart,  our  soul,  our  mind,  all  our  strength. 
How  did  our  Saviour  command  this  to  us?  'Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  thy  whole  heart,  with  thy 
whole  soul,  with  thy  whole  mind  and  with  all  thy  strength." 
This  is  called  the  commandment  of  the  love  of  God.  (Re- 
peat questions  on  this.)  Why  should  we  love  God?  We 
should  love  God,  because  He  is  the  highest  (supreme) 
Good,  and  everything  good  comes  from  Him. 

4.  Application.  "  For  the  love  of  God."  a.  Do 
good  —  Pray.  How  does  a  good  child  show  that  it  loves 
God  with  its  whole  soul?  By  often  thinking  of  Him.  Of 
whom  does  it  at  once  think  when  awaking  in  the  morning? 
Of  whom  does  it  think  at  night  before  going  to  sleep? 
Your  first  thoughts  in  the  morning  should  be  about  God, 
and  your  last  thoughts  at  night  before  falling  asleep  should 
be  about  God  also. 


LOVE  OF  GOD  243 

Prayer  of  thanksgiving.  Why  should  we  give  to  God 
our  first  thoughts  011  awaking  in  the  morning,  and  also 
our  last  thoughts  before  falling  asleep  at  night?  Because 
He  bestows  so  many  good  things  on  us.  What  do  you 
say  to  your  father,  when  he  gives  you  something  good? 
But  every  day  God  gives  you  far  more  good  things  than 
your  father  and  mother.  How  do  we  thank  God?  By 
praying  to  Him.  How  do  you  thank  God  at  night?  "O 
my  God,  I  thank  Thee  for  all  the  benefits  Thou  hast  be- 
stowed on  me  this  day."  During  the  night  God,  like  a 
good  father,  watches  over  you,  gives  you  a  quiet,  refresh- 
ing sleep  and  keeps  you  in  good  health.  Therefore  you 
should  thank  Him  in  the  morning:  "  I  thank  Thee,  O 
my  God,  for  all  Thou  hast  done  for  me,  and  for  having 
watched  over  me  and  preserved  me  this  night."  You 
should  also  thank  Him  after  each  meal,  and  why? 

Devout  prayer.  You  also  pray  before  your  meals.  But 
when  your  mother  has  prepared  something  you  like,  or 
you  are  very  hungry,  you  say  the  prayer  before  meals 
with  hands  joined,  but  your  thoughts  and  your  heart  are 
directed  to  the  eatables  on  the  table,  but  not  to  God,  to 
whom  you  are  speaking.  On  whom  should  you  think  when 
you  are  praying?  When  you  think  on  God  in  your  prayer, 
your  soul  is  with  God.  And  when  you  pray  devoutly,  the 
love  of  God  and  joy  about  God  are  awakened  in  you. 
And  then  what  else  is  with  God?  Your  heart  and  your 
mind,  and  not  merely  your  tongue  and  your  lips,  and  your 
prayer  is  devout.  This  kind  of  prayer  pleases  God  very 
much,  for  He  then  sees  that  you  really  love  Him.  How 
must  you  pray  to  show  God  that  you  really  love  Him? 

Awaking  love.  You  should  often  tell  God  that  you 
love  Him :  "Omy  God,  I  love  Thee  with  all  my  heart, 
because  Thou  art  the  highest  (chief,  supreme)  Good." 
Whenever  you  thus  awake  in  you  the  love  of  God,  your 
heart  and  your  mind  ascend  to  God. 

To  please  God.     If  you  love  God  where  will  you  like 


244  THE  COMMANDMENTS 

to  go?  To  church.  For  instance,  you  hear  the  church 
bell  ringing  in  the  morning,  and  the  thought  strikes  you, 
that  you  would  please  God,  if  you  went  to  church  to 
hear  Mass.  But  it  is  so  cold  outdoors,  and  it  is  so  nice 
and  warm  in  your  bed.  But  you,  nevertheless,  get  up 
immediately;  for  what?  For  the  love  of  God,  to  please 
God.  In  church  your  knees  sometimes  pain  you,  and  you 
would  like  to  sit  down.  But  the  thought  presents  itself: 
"  It  will  please  God,  if  I  remain  kneeling ; "  and  you  re- 
main kneeling.  Why?  To  please  God.  Another  time 
you  are  engaged  in  playing  a  very  interesting  game,  and 
you  hear  your  mother  calling :  "  John,  come  home."  It 
is  very  hard  for  you  to  stop  playing  at  once;  but  the 
thought  presents  itself :  "  Obey  to  please  God,"  or  "  for 
God's  sake,"  and  obedience  becomes  easier.  What  we  do 
out  of  love  becomes  easy.  Everything  we  do  to  please 
God  is  easy. 

Why  should  you  willingly  obey  ?  To  please  God,  and  not 
in  order  to  be  praised.  Why  should  you  go  to  church  ?  To 
please  God,  and  not  perhaps  to  get  a  picture  as  a  reward. 
Why  should  you  willingly  and  devoutly  say  your  prayers? 
Mention  other  things  we  should  do  to  please  God.  Study, 
work.  To  study,  work,  pray,  obey,  go  to  church,  are  all 
good  things.  What  should  we  do  to  please  God?  We 
should  do  all  that  is  good  to  please  God.  To  please  God 
you  should  rise  in  the  morning,  say  your  prayers,  study, 
obey,  help  your  father  and  mother.  What  do  we  show 
when  we  do  good  to  please  God?  We  show  that  we  love 
Him. 

b.  Avoid  evil.  What  should  you  avoid  doing,  if  you 
love  God?  Telling  lies,  stealing,  cursing,  etc.,  for  lying, 
stealing,  cursing  are  evil,  are  sinful.  We  should,  there- 
fore, do  no  evil,  avoid  evil.  For  instance,  you  are  kneel- 
ing down  in  church.  Your  companion  would  like  to  talk 
with  you,  and  you  are  on  the  point  of  doing  the  same. 
But  the  reflection  comes :     "  That  would  be  wrong,  sinful. 


LOVE  OF  OUR  NEIGHBOR  245 

I  would  offend  God  by  doing  so."  What  would  you  then 
do?  Not  talk.  To  please  whom  would  you  have  kept 
from  talking?  Another  time  you  hear  somebody  walking 
out  of  the  church,  and  you  at  once  feel  like  looking  around 
to  see  who  it  is.  But  the  thought  strikes  you :  '  It  is 
wrong  to  look  around  in  church,"  and  you  keep  looking  at 
the  altar.  And  why  did  you  not  look  around?  On  ac- 
count of  God,  to  please  God.  Sometimes  even  ill-behaved 
children  behave  well  in  church  and  do  not  talk  or  look 
around,  but  they  avoid  doing  these  things  not  to  please 
God,  but  for  what?  Because  they  are  afraid  of  being 
punished.  Perhaps  you  are  passing  a  fine  orchard  with 
plenty  of  fine  ripe  fruit.  You  feel  like  taking  some,  for 
there  is  nobody  near.  What  good  thought  can  keep  you 
from  stealing?  "God  sees  me."  Also:  "to  please  God 
I'll  keep  from  stealing." 

You  have  hitherto  perhaps  often  avoided  evil  for  fear 
of  punishment.  This  did  not  please  God  much.  Hence- 
forth you  should  do  better.  Why  should  we  avoid  evil? 
We  should  avoid  evil,  in  order  to  please  God.  You  should 
then  resolve :  "  To  please  God  I  will  not  curse,  I  will 
not  tell  lies,  I  will  not  steal,  I  will  not  disobey,  I  will  not 
misbehave  in  church."  What  does  it  prove  if  you  avoid 
doing  evil,  in  order  to  please  God?  It  proves  that  we 
love  God.  In  what  other  way  can  we  prove  that  we  love 
God?  If  we  do  good  in  order  to  please  God.  Therefore 
we  show  that  we  really  love  God,  if,  to  please  Him  (for 
His  sake),  we  do  good  and  avoid  evil. 

2.  The  Commandment  of  the  Love  of  our  Neighbor. 

Object.  I  will  show  you  to-day  that  we  must  love  all 
men. 

I.  Explanation  —  Neighbor.  Who  created  all  men? 
God.  According  to  what?  According  to  (or  after)  His 
own  image.     God  is,  therefore,  the  Father  of  all  men.     If 


246  THE  COMMANDMENTS 

God   is   our    Father,    what   are    we?     His   children.     And 
what  are  we,   if  God  created  us  in   (or  after)    His  own 
image?     We  are  images  of  God.     All  men  are  God's  chil- 
dren and  images.     What  do  father  (mother)  and  children 
form?     A  family.     What  do  God  and  all  men  form?     A 
family.     That  is  a  very  large  family.     It  is  God's  family. 
To   God's    family   all    men   on   earth   belong.     How   many 
fathers  in  a  family?     Charles  and  Rose  have  together  but 
one   father.     What   is   the   relation   between    Charles   and 
Rose,  since  they  have  the  same  father?     Brother  and  sister? 
They  are  the  nearest  relatives  to  each  other.     In  like  man- 
ner all  men  are  related  to  each  other;  they  are  brethren 
to   one    another;    they    are    one    another's    neighbor.     All 
the  children  in  school  are  neighbor  to  one  another;  all  the 
people  in  our  town,  in  our  State,  in  our  country,  in  the 
whole  world  are  our  neighbor,  for  we  all  are  children  of  one 
and  the  same  Father,  God.     Every  man,  woman  and  child 
in  the  whole  world,  without  exception,  are  our  neighbor. 
And  why?     Where  does  the  Father  of  us  all  dwell?     In 
heaven.     Therefore,  all  men  in  the  world,  without  excep- 
tion, are  our  neighbor,  because  we  are  all  children  of  the 
same  Father  in  heaven. 

Our  divine  Saviour  taught  us  this.  One  day,  as  you 
know,  a  lawyer  asked  Him :  "  Master,  what  must  I  do 
to  go  to  heaven?"  How  did  Jesus  answer  him?  "Thou 
shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God,"  etc.  And  then  Jesus  added : 
"  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself."  Then  the  law- 
yer asked  Him :  "  And  who  is  my  neighbor  ? "  And 
Jesus  related  to  him  the  following  parable: 

II.  Relation.  A  man  was  traveling  from  Jerusalem  to 
Jericho.  On  the  way  he  was  attacked  by  robbers  who  beat 
him,  stole  all  he  had  and  left  him  half  dead.  A  Jewish 
priest  passing  by  saw  him  and  left  him  lie  there.  Then  a 
levite  coming  that  way  saw  him  and  also  left  him  lie  there. 
Finally,  there  came  a  Samaritan  along  that  way;  he  saw 
the  poor  traveler,  went  to  him,  dressed  his  wounds,  took 


LOVE  OF  OUR  NEIGHBOR  247 

him  to  an  inn  and  had  him  cared  for  till  he  was  cured. 
Now  our  Saviour  asked  the  lawyer :  "  Which  of  these 
three  acted  as  neighbor  towards  that  unfortunate  man?" 
The  lawyer  replied :  "  He  who  showed  compassion 
(mercy)  towards  him."  Then  Jesus  said:  "Go  thou  and 
do  likewise." 

Explanation.  Who  asked  a  question  of  Jesus?  The 
lawyers  were  men  learned  in  the  Jewish  (Mosaic)  law  and 
in  the  Scriptures ;  sometimes  they  were  called  scribes. 
They  read  and  studied  constantly  the  Holy  Scriptures. 
Who  remembers  on  what  occasion  King  Herod  called  the 
Jewish  priests  and  scribes  together?  What  question  did 
he  put  to  them?  Now  one  of  these  lawyers  or  scribes 
asked  Jesus:  "Who  is  my  neighbor?"  What  would  you 
have  answered  him?  Our  Saviour  instead  of  that,  related 
an  anecdote,  or  a  parable. 

A  man  was  going  from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho.  You  al- 
ready know  all  about  Jerusalem.  Jericho  is  a  city  in  Pales- 
tine about  twenty  miles  from  Jerusalem.  The  road  lays 
across  mountains,  where  there  were  highway  robbers. 
What  misfortune  happened  to  that  man  on  his  way?  The 
robbers  attacked  him.  What  did  they  take  from  him? 
Money,  clothing  and  everything  he  had.  They  robbed  him. 
And  they  also  so  cruelly  beat  him,  that  he  was  covered 
with  wounds.  The  robbers  then  escaped.  In  what  state 
did  they  leave  that  man?  Half  dead.  It  was  a  wicked 
thing  for  those  robbers  to  attack,  rob  and  so  badly  wound 
that  man  who  was  going  his  way  peaceably.  The  hot  sun 
shining  on  his  wounds  caused  him  great  pain.  He  was 
every  moment  growing  weaker,  and  he  knew  that,  if  some 
one  did  not  come  soon  to  his  assistance,  he  should  die. 
He  heard  steps  coming  nearer  and  nearer.  Who  was  com- 
ing? The  poor  wounded  man  was  glad,  for  he  thought 
that  he  would  get  some  help.  The  Jewish  priest  saw  the 
unfortunate  man.  What  did  he  do?  He  passed  on.  Who 
came  along  soon  after  the  priest?     The  levites  had  to  assist 


248  THE  COMMANDMENTS 

the  priests  in  the  temple.  What  did  the  wounded  man 
desire  that  the  levite  should  do?  But  the  levite,  like  the 
priest,  passed  on.  Now  a  third  man  was  coming  along  the 
same  way ;  he  was  riding  on  a  mule.  He  was  a  Samaritan, 
that  is,  he  was  a  native  of  Samaria.  The  wounded  man 
thought :  "  I  hope  that  man  will  not  pass  on  as  the  others 
did,  and  leave  me  here  to  die."  And  the  Samaritan  took 
compassion  on  him,  and  came  to  his  assistance.  He  first 
washed  his  wounds.  And  what  did  he  pour  into  them? 
Oil  is  cooling  and  curing.  How  much  good  it  did  to  the 
poor  man !  Then  he  bound  up  his  wounds,  and  lifted  him 
up.  But  he  could  not  walk.  How  did  the  Samaritan  bring 
him  away?  He  lifted  him  up  on  his  mule  and  brought 
him  to  an  inn  (hotel),  and  said  to  the  innkeeper:  "Take 
care  of  this  wounded  man  until  he  is  cured,  and  I  will 
pay  all  the  expenses."  Now  repeat  how  the  Samaritan 
helped  the  unfortunate  man.  He,  therefore,  not  only  had 
compassion  on  him,  but  he  also  helped  him.  He  who  has 
pity  on  the  unfortunate  and  helps  them,  is  merciful,  is 
charitable.  What  did  the  Samaritan  show  towards  the 
wounded  man?  Charity.  He  is,  therefore,  called  the 
Charitable  Samaritan. 

III.  Explanation  —  To  love  as  ourselves.  Who  treated 
that  traveler  so  cruelly?  The  robbers.  What  evil  had  he 
done  to  them?  None.  Suppose  some  one  would  come  in 
here  and,  without  any  provocation,  would  tear  off  your 
clothing,  and  beat  you  till  your  blood  would  flow.  How 
would  you  like  it?  Not  at  all.  You  would  not  like  to 
be  thus  treated.  It  would  be  equally  wrong  and  cruel  to 
treat  others  in  that  way.  Our  Lord  commands  us  to  act 
quite  differently,  for  He  says :  "  Whatsoever  you  would 
wish  others  to  do  unto  you,  do  ye  unto  them."  If  you 
were  lying  on  the  ground  all  covered  with  wounds,  and 
would  see  people  passing  by,  what  would  you  wish  them 
to  do  for  you?  What  did  that  wounded  man  wish  the 
passers-by  to  do  for  him?    What  would  that  priest  and 


LOVE  OF  OUR  NEIGHBOR  249 

that  levite  have  wished,  if  they  had  been  in  the  place  of 
that  unfortunate  man?  That  very  thing  they  should  have 
done  for  him.  But  they  thought :  "  That  man  is  a  stran- 
ger. I  do  not  know  him.  It  is  none  of  my  business." 
Is  it  true  that  a  stranger's  misfortune  is  none  of  our  busi- 
ness? What  is  every  man  to  us,  even  if  he  is  a  stranger 
to  us?  What  was  that  wounded  stranger  to  that  priest 
and  that  levite?  Because  he  was  the  child  and  the  image 
of  God.  What  we  do  to  God's  child  and  image,  we  do 
to  God  Himself.  If  the  priest  and  the  levite  had  cared 
for  that  wounded  man,  God  would  have  considered  it  as 
done  to  Himself. 

This  must  have  been  the  thought  of  the  good  Samaritan, 
that  he  should  do  unto  that  unfortunate  man  what  he  would 
wish  him  to  do  to  himself,  if  he  were  in  his  place.  And 
he  actually  did  it.  Which  of  our  Saviour's  commandments 
did  he  thereby  fulfil  ?  "  Whatever  you  wish  others  to  do 
unto  you,  do  ye  unto  them."  He  who  does  to  another  what 
he  would  wish  another  to  do  unto  him,  loves  him  as  he 
loves  himself.  How  did  the  good  Samaritan  love  his 
neighbor?  As  himself.  Which  of  our  Saviour's  command- 
ments did  he  fulfil?  The  commandment  of  the  love  of  our 
neighbor. 

Now  you  can  answer  the  question  our  Saviour  asked  of 
that  lawyer.  What  did  He  ask  him?  Which  three  did 
our  Saviour  mean?  How  would  you  answer  our  Saviour's 
question?  The  good  (charitable)  Samaritan.  Why?  Be- 
cause he  had  compassion  on  the  wounded  man  and  assisted 
him.  In  other  words,  he  showed  mercy  (charity)  to  him. 
What  answer  did  the  lawyer  give  ?  "  He  that  showed 
mercy  to  him." 

IV.  Summary.  The  commandment  of  the  love  of  our 
neighbor  is:  "Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself." 
All  men  without  exception  are  our  neighbor,  because  all 
men  are  children  of  one  Father  in  heaven.  We  love  our 
neighbor  as  ourselves  when  we  observe  this  commandment 


250  THE  COMMANDMENTS 

of  our  divine  Saviour :     "  Whatever  you  wish  that  others 
should  do  unto  you,  do  ye  also  unto  them." 

V.  Application.  What  were  Christ's  concluding  words 
to  the  lawyer :  "  Go  thou  and  do  likewise."  Our  Lord 
meant  by  these  words :  "  Act  like  the  Samaritan."  Our 
Lord  practised  what  He  commanded  the  lawyer  to  do. 

1.  When  our  divine  Saviour  was  going  through  Palestine 
preaching  the  Gospel,  people  were  wont  to  bring  Him  after 
His  preaching,  sick  people  to  cure,  such  as  the  blind,  the 
deaf  and  dumb,  the  lame.  How  did  our  Lord  help  the 
blind?  the  deaf  and  dumb,  the  lame?  How  glad  and  happy 
were  those  He  cured !  On  one  occasion  there  was  an 
immense^  crowd  of  people  with  Jesus.  They  had  had  noth- 
ing to  eat  for  a  long  time,  some  even  for  three  days.  Our 
Saviour  fed  them  all  by  a  miracle.  On  another  day  He 
met  the  funeral  procession  of  a  young  man ;  He  saw  the 
mother  of  the  deceased,  a  poor  widow,  weeping;  He  said 
to  her :  "  Do  not  weep,"  and  He  went  to  those  who  were 
carrying  the  corpse,  and  raised  the  dead  young  man  to 
life.  Thus  did  Jesus  help  many  others  also.  What  did 
our  Saviour  show  by  helping  so  many?  That  He  loved 
them.  How  did  He  best  show  that  He  loved  all  men? 
By  dying  for  all  men.  Our  Saviour  loved  even  His  ene- 
mies. How  did  He  show,  when  He  was  arrested,  that  He 
still  loved  Judas?  He  allowed  Judas  to  kiss  Him.  How 
did  He  show  that  He  loved  Malchus,  who  was  one  of  those 
who  came  to  arrest  Him?  How  did  He  show,  when  He 
was  hanging  on  the  cross  that  He  loved  even  those  who 
put  Him  to  death?     He  prayed  for  them. 

2.  You  see  how  Jesus  acted  like  the  good  Samaritan. 
He  is  Himself  the  Good  Samaritan.  He  helped  all.  And 
we  also  will  help  our  neighbor,  when  in  need.  Hence  Jesus 
says  to  us  also :  "  Go  and  do  likewise."  There  is  Rose  N., 
who  comes  to  our  school.  She  rides  to  school  every  morn- 
ing, for  she  can  hardly  walk.  She  cannot  go  up  the  steps 
by   herself.     What   do  most   of  you   do?     You   go   away 


LOVE  OF  OUR  NEIGHBOR  251 

and  let  her  help  herself  as  well  as  she  can.  What  do  you 
care  for  Rose?  You  act  like  that  priest  and  that  levite 
towards  the  poor  wounded  man.  But  not  all  act  in  that 
way.  What  do  some  do  to  help  Rose  to  go  up  the  steps? 
Rose  cannot  run  and  jump  and  play  like  the  other  children. 
If  you  were  in  her  place,  how  would  you  wish  the  other 
children  to  act  towards  you?  Remain  near  us.  Thus 
should  you  act  towards  Rose.  A  few  of  you  could  remain 
with  her  and  speak  kindly  to  her.  That  would  do  Rose 
good.     What  does  it  prove  ? 

There  is  an  old  hunchback.  When  he  crosses  a  street, 
he  is  always  surrounded  by  a  number  of  bad  children  who 
make  fun  of  him  and  mimic  him.  This  always  hurts  the 
poor  old  man's  feelings ;  it  is  as  if  he  received  a  wound 
in  his  heart.  It  has  often  so  pained  him,  as  to  make  him 
weep.  Who  inflicted  so  painful  a  wound  on  the  poor  old 
man?  Those  rough,  ill-bred,  uncharitable  children,  who, 
like  the  robbers  in  the  parable,  fell  upon  him  and  badly 
wounded  him  in  his  feelings.  What  would  you,  N.  N., 
have  done,  had  you  seen  those  bad  children  acting  so 
cruelly?  Reported  them  in  school.  That  would  have  been 
right.  Perhaps  you  would  also  have  said  to  those  children : 
"  Stop  that ;  let  the  poor  man  be  in  peace."  That  would 
have  been  even  better.  Why  is  it  wrong  to  pain  that  old 
man?  He  is  our  neighbor,  a  child  of  God.  Other  good 
children  have  thought  of  this,  and  therefore  saluted  him 
in  a  friendly  manner,  and  when  they  saw  him  sitting  in 
front  of  his  little  home,  they  went  to  him  and  tried  to 
entertain  him.     This  always  made  him  very  glad. 

Children  sometimes  mock  and  ridicule  their  schoolmates. 
As  soon  as  a  child  gives  a  wrong  answer,  the  others  begin 
to  laugh  at  him.  That  is  ugly  and  uncharitable;  the  child 
then  gets  so  timid,  as  no  longer  to  have  the  courage  to 
answer  a  question.  How  would  you  like  to  be  treated  thus 
by  the  others?  What  ought  we  to  refrain  from,  when 
others  make  a  mistake?     On  what  saying  should  we  then 


252  THE  COMMANDMENTS 

think?     "Whatever  thou  wishest  others  to  do  unto  thee, 
do  thou  also  unto  them." 

3.  When  you  undertake  to  help  your  little  sister  to  per- 
form her  task,  and  she  is  rather  awkward,  you  at  once 
scold  her,  abuse  her.  Is  not  that  rather  rough  conduct? 
Will  that  make  your  sister  smarter?  How  would  you  take 
being  treated  in  such  a  way?  Therefore  "whatever,"  etc. 
You  have  brought  to  school  a  fine  large  apple,  and  you 
are  just  going  to  bite  into  it  and  eat ;  but  you  see  near 
you  a  pair  of  hungry,  longing  eyes,  those  of  a  schoolmate 
who  is  very  poor.  You  can  give  him  half,  or  even  the 
whole  apple,  and  you  do  so.  What  does  he  see  in  this  act 
of  yours?  You  have  won  his  love  and  even  his  friend- 
ship. You  have  two  pencils,  and  he  has  none.  What  can 
you  do?  You  meet  a  young  child  in  the  street  that  has 
lost  its  way,  and  is  far  from  home.  What  can  you  do? 
There  is  another  poor  child  sent  to  the  grocery,  that  has 
lost  the  money  for  bread,  and  is  crying.  What  can  you  do  ? 
Help  to  look  for  it.  There  is  an  automobile  coming;  a 
little  child  in  the  street  will  surely  be  run  over  by  it,  if 
you  do  not  carry  it  out  of  danger.  What  should  you  do? 
How  many  other  cases  in  which  you  can  all  show  that  you 
love  your  neighbor ! 


ON  THE  COMMANDMENTS. 
3.  God  gave  the  ten  Commandments. 

Which  are  the  two  principal  commandments?  You  have 
already  learned  many  beautiful  things  about  them.  God 
Himself  told  us  more  clearly  how  we  should  love  Him 
and  our  neighbor,  by  giving  the  ten  commandments  to  the 
Jews.     These  ten  commandments  oblige  all  men. 

Object.  I  will  relate  to-day  how  God  gave  the  ten 
commandments. 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS  253 

I.  Relation.  The  Israelites  dwelt  many  years  in  Egypt. 
There  they  worshiped  the  true  God.  The  Egyptians  wor- 
shiped false  gods.  There  was  a  pious  and  learned  man 
among  the  Israelites  called  Moses.  God  spoke  to  him: 
"  Lead  the  Israelites  out  of  Egypt ;  I  will  give  them  a 
beautiful  country  to  live  in."  The  Israelites  departed. 
They  had  a  long  way  to  go.  In  the  beginning  of  the 
third  month  they  came  to  Mount  Sinai.  There  they  put 
up  their  tents.  Moses  went  up  the  mountain,  and  there 
the  Lord  spoke  to  him :  "  Go  down  and  order  them  to 
sanctify  themselves  to-day  and  to-morrow,  and  to  wash 
their  garments,  and  to  be  ready  on  the  third  day.  And 
when  they  hear  the  blast  of  the  trumpets,  they  shall  come 
to  the  mountain."  Moses  did  what  God  had  commanded 
him.  The  morning  of  the  third  day  came.  And  it  began 
to  lighten  and  thunder.  A  dark  cloud  covered  Mount 
Sinai,  and  gave  it  a  terrible  aspect;  it  began  to  quake,  to 
smoke  and  to  emit  flames.  The  blast  of  the  trumpets  be- 
came louder  and  louder,  and  the  Israelites  were  terrified. 
Moses  led  them  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  and  God 
spoke  from  the  midst  of  the  flames,  saying: 

1.  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God.  Thou  shalt  not  have  strange 
gods  before  Me ;  thou  shalt  not  make  to  thyself  any  graven 
thing  to  adore  it. 

2.  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God 
in  vain. 

3.  Remember  that  thou  keep  holy  the  Sabbath  day. 

4.  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother,  that  it  may  be 
well  with  thee,  and  thou  mayst  live  long  on  the  earth. 

5.  Thou  shalt  not  kill. 

6.  Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery. 

7.  Thou  shalt  not  steal. 

8.  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness  against  thy  neigh- 
bor. 

9.  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  wife. 


254  THE  COMMANDMENTS 

10.  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  house,  nor  his 
field,  nor  his  servant,  nor  his  handmaid,  nor  his  ox,  nor  his 
ass,  nor  anything  that  is  his. 

Full  of  dread,  the  people  said :  "  We  shall  do  all  that 
the  Lord  has  commanded."  After  this  Moses  again  went 
up  the  mountain,  and  remained  there  forty  days  and  forty 
nights.  All  that  time  he  ate  no  bread  and  drank  no  water. 
God  gave  him  two  tables  of  stone,  on  which  His  finger 
had  engraved  the  ten  commandments. 

11.  Explanation.  Where  did  the  Israelites  dwell? 
There  they  were  obliged  to  work  very  hard  for  the  Egyp- 
tians, without  receiving  any  pay.  If  they  did  not  perform 
enough  work,  or  took  a  little  rest,  they  were  beaten  by 
the  Egyptians.  The  Israelites  were  thus  very  badly  treated 
in  Egypt.  But  there  was  something  else  that  was  much 
worse.  The  Egyptians  worshiped  cats,  crocodiles,  storks 
and  a  calf.  They  said :  "  These  are  our  gods."  What 
kind  of  gods  were  those  animals?  False  gods.  Whom 
did  the  Israelites  worship?  But  they  gradually  began  to 
worship  false  gods  besides  the  true  God.  From  whom 
had  they  learnt  this?  It  could  have  easily  happened  in 
the  course  of  time,  that  they  would  at  last  no  longer  be- 
lieve in  the  true  God.  Therefore  God  willed  that  the 
Israelites  should  leave  Egypt.  Who  was  to  lead  them  out 
of  Egypt?  What  did  God  say  to  Moses  about  this?  By 
what  way  were  the  Israelites  to  go?  It  was  on  that  way 
that  God  gave  them  the  ten  commandments.  From  what 
mountain?  How  long  had  the  Israelites  already  traveled? 
Here  they  stayed  for  a  long  time.  They  could  not  build 
solid  houses,  because  they  were  not  to  remain  there  always. 
And  they  could  not  live  without  shelter.  In  what  did  they 
live?  In  tents.  They  carried  along  all  the  parts  of  tents. 
And  when  they  came  to  a  place  where  they  were  to  stop, 
they  put  up  their  tents.  Where  did  Moses  go?  He  went 
up  the  mountain.  God  wished  to  proclaim  His  command- 
ments on  the  third  day.     That  was  a  matter  of  great  im- 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS  255 

portance.  Therefore  that  day  was  to  be  a  great  feast  day 
for  the  Israelites.  What  kind  of  clothes  do  you  put  on 
on  feast  days?  What  would  your  mother  do,  if  your 
clothes  were  not  clean?  Suppose  you  were  to  go  and  see 
the  president  on  a  certain  day ;  how  careful  you  would  be 
to  be  neat  and  clean  in  your  whole  appearance !  But  there 
is  no  one  greater  than  God,  and  the  Israelites  were  to 
appear  before  God !  What  were  they  ,  ordered  to  do  ? 
They  were  required  to  be  outwardly  neat  and  clean.  But 
God  does  not  see  merely  the  exterior,  but  even  into  our 
inmost  heart.  How  should  our  heart  be,  when  we  go  be- 
fore God?  Free  from  sin;  it  should  be  pure  and  holy. 
What  were  the  Israelites  to  be  free  from  in  their  soul? 
From  sin.  Therefore  they  had  to  make  a  twofold  prepara- 
tion. What  was  the  outward  preparation  to  consist  in? 
And  the  inward?  How  long  were  they  given  to  prepare 
themselves?  What  order  did  God  send  them  through 
Moses? 

The  morning  of  the  third  day  came.  It  was  a  terrible 
day.  What  did  the  Israelites  see  on  the  mountain?  In 
what  was  the  mountain  enveloped?  In  a  dark  cloud.  In 
the  cloud  there  were  constant  flashes  of  lightning,  as  if 
the  mountain  was  on  fire.  The  thunder  pealed  so  fear- 
fully, as  to  cause  the  mountain  to  quake  and  totter.  Who 
was  in  the  cloud  and  in  the  fire?  God  Himself.  What 
did  the  people  feel  when  they  beheld  the  dazzling  flashes 
of  lightning  and  heard  the  terrible  peals  of  thunder?  Fear 
and  terror.  Where  did  Moses  lead  the  Israelites  ?  To  the 
foot  of  the  mountain.  When  they  reached  it,  God  spoke 
to  them  from  the  midst  of  the  fire :  "  I  am,"  etc.  The 
people  were  greatly  frightened  when  God,  with  a  voice  of 
thunder,  proclaimed  the  ten  commandments,  and  they 
trembled  as  they  listened.  What  did  the  Israelites  promise 
after  hearing  the  commandments  God  gave  them?  Where 
did  Moses  then  betake  himself?  How  long  did  he  remain 
there  ?     During  all  that  time  he  took  neither  food  nor  drink, 


256  THE  COMMANDMENTS 

that  is,  he  fasted.  Can  you  tell  me  why  Moses  remained 
so  long  on  the  mountain  ?  During  that  time  God  explained 
to  him  the  ten  commandments.  The  Israelites  might  have 
forgotten  the  commandments.  But  God  would  not  permit 
it.  What  do  I  often  do  when  I  wish  you  not  to  forget 
what  I  teach  you  ?  Write  it  on  the  board.  Therefore  what 
did  God  do  with  regard  to  the  ten  commandments? 

III.  and  IV.  Explanation  and  Application.  On  what 
do  I  write?  On  the  blackboard.  With  what?  That  can 
be  easily  rubbed  out.  On  what  did  God  write  the  ten 
commandments?  On  two  tables  of  stone.  They  were  very 
large.  Who  has  already  seen  writing  on  stone?  Where? 
On  tombs,  monuments.  The  writing  cannot  be  rubbed  out. 
Why?  It  is  cut  into  the  stone,  and  will  last  as  long  as 
the  stone  itself.  The  ten  commandments  are  to  last  al- 
ways; as  long  as  the  world  lasts.  Wherefore  God  en- 
graved them  deeply  in  the  tables  of  stone.  How?  With 
His  finger,  just  as  if  they  had  been  carved  in  the  stone. 
Who  gave  the  ten  commandments?  Where?  To  whom? 
On  what  were  they  written?  God  gave  to  Moses  the  ten 
commandments  written  on  two  tables  of  stone.  How  are 
these  tables  of  stone  represented?  One  with  numbers  I, 
II  and  III,  meaning  the  first,  second  and  third  command- 
ments, which  concern  our  duties  towards  God.  The  other 
with  the  following  seven  numbers  up  to  X,  meaning  the 
seven  remaining  commandments,  which  concern  our  duties 
towards  our  neighbor.  The  first  three  commandments 
teach  us  how  we  must  love  God ;  and  the  other  seven  teach 
us  how  we  must  love  our  neighbor. 

V.  Application,  i.  What  did  the  Israelites  see  and 
hear  when  God  gave  the  ten  commandments?  God  was 
angry  with  the  Israelites  because  they  disobeyed  Him  and 
adored  also  false  gods.  Therefore  he  said :  "I  am  the 
Lord  thy  God;  thou  shalt  not  have  strange  gods  before 
Me;  thou  shalt  adore  none  but  Me."  And  thus  He  spoke 
ten  consecutive  times  to  them,  telling  them  what  they  should 


THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS  257 

do,  and  what  they  should  not  do.     Three  times  He  said: 
"  Thou  shalt ;  "  and  seven  times  :     "  Thou  shalt  not." 

2.  When  God  spoke  thus  to  the  Israelites,  His  voice 
was  as  terrible  as  the  rolling  of  thunder,  and  His  eyes 
shone  through  the  cloud  as  the  most  vivid  lightning.  You 
can  see  from  this  that  God  was  very  severe  when  He  gave 
the  ten  commandments,  and  He  is  very  strict  in  requiring 
their  observance.  He  who  breaks  one  of  the  command- 
ments, commits  a  sin,  and  will  be  punished  by  God.  We 
have  examples  of  this  in  Adam  and  Eve,  in  Cain,  in  the 
angels  who  rebelled  against  God.  How  did  He  punish 
Adam  and  Eve?  Cain?  God  will  punish  us  also,  if  we 
break  any  of  His  commandments.  He  can  cause  us  to 
fall  dead  whilst  we  are  committing  a  sin.  And  if  we  die 
in  mortal  sin,  God  must,  in  His  justice,  condemn  us  to 
hell.  We  shall  all  die  once,  and  then  shall  have  to  appear 
before  God  to  be  judged.  How  terrible  will  it  then  be  for 
us,  if  we  have  not  kept  the  commandments  and  fallen  into 
mortal  sin !  God  will  then  say  to  us :  "  Depart  from  Me, 
you  accursed,  into  everlasting  fire,  which  was  prepared  for 
the  devil  and  his  angels."  How  unhappy  you  would  then 
be !  What  must  you  do  to  avoid  such  a  misfortune  ?  Keep 
the  commandments.  But  a  good  child  needs  not  to  be 
threatened  with  punishment  to  make  him  keep  the  com- 
mandments of  God.  Only  lately  I  taught  you  why  you 
ought  to  obey,  to  pray,  to  study.  To  please  God.  Why 
should  you  also  keep  the  commandments?  What  do  we 
show  when,  to  please  God,  we  keep  His  commandments? 
Our  divine  Saviour  says :  "  He  that  loveth  Me,  keepeth 
My  commandments." 

3.  The  Israelites  had  to  appear  at  the  foot  of  Mount 
Sinai  before  God.  You  appear  every  morning  during  holy 
Mass  before  God.  What  had  the  Israelites  to  do  before 
appearing  before  God?  You  should  not  come  to  church 
without  washing  your  face,  your  hands,  and  combing  your 
hair,  and  your  clothes  and   shoes   should  be  clean.     But 


258  FIRST  COMMANDMENT 

God  looks  further  than  your  dress ;  He  sees  into  your  in- 
most heart.  How  should  your  heart  especially  be,  when 
you  appear  before  God?  Pure.  But  you  cannot  purify 
your  heart  all  alone.  Who  has  to  help  you  ?  God.  Hence 
when  you  enter  the  church,  take  holy  water  devoutly,  and 
whilst  making  the  sign  of  the  cross  with  it,  say :  "  O 
Lord,  cleanse  (purify)  me  of  my  sins."  If  you  do  this 
devoutly,  God  will  forgive  you  your  sins. 


FIRST  COMMANDMENT  OF  GOD. 
4.  The  Worship  of  God.    A. 

I.  Preparation.  What  do  you  do  when  I  come  into 
the  school?  Wre  stand  up  and  salute  you.  By  doing  so, 
you  honor  me.  What  do  you  do  when  you  meet  me  on 
the  street?  We  take  off  our  hats  and  salute  you.  By 
doing  so,  you  also  honor  me.  When  the  bishop  comes 
to  our  church,  all  turn  out  in  procession  to  receive  him, 
in  their  best  clothes,  and  the  church  bells  ring  joyfully, 
and  the  church  is  beautifully  decorated.  By  all  this  the 
clergy  and  faithful  wish  to  show  due  honor  to  the  bishop. 
But  there  is  One  who  deserves  far  greater  honor  than  the 
bishop,  than  the  Pope  himself.  Who  is  it?  God.  We 
must  honor  God  far  more  than  all  else. 

Object.  I  will  show  by  the  history  of  the  three  wise 
men  how  we  should  honor  God.  Who  can  relate  their 
history? 

II.  Relation.  When  Jesus  was  born  at  Bethlehem, 
there  came  wise  men  from  the  East  to  Jerusalem.  They 
asked :  "  Where  is  the  new-born  king  of  the  Jews  ?  We 
have  seen  His  Star  in  the  East  and  have  come  to  adore 
Him."  When  Herod  heard  this,  he  was  afraid.  He  sum- 
moned the  priests  and  the  scribes,  and  asked  them  where 
the  Christ  (Messiah)  was  to  be  born.  They  answered: 
"  At  Bethlehem  in  the  tribe  of  Juda."     Then  Herod  sent 


THE  WORSHIP  OF  GOD  259 

the  wise  men  to  Bethlehem,  saying :  "  Go  there  and  seek 
diligently  for  the  Child;  and  when  you  have  found  Him, 
tell  me,  and  I  also  will  go  to  adore  Him."  The  wise  men 
set  out  at  once  for  Bethlehem.  And  the  star  appeared  and 
led  them  to  the  place  where  the  Child  was.  When  they 
saw  the  Star,  they  rejoiced  very  much.  They  entered  the 
place  and  found  the  Child  with  Mary,  His  Mother.  They 
prostrated  themselves  and  adored  the  Child.  They  offered 
Him  gold,  frankincense  and  myrrh.  During  the  night  God 
commanded  the  wise  men  not  to  go  back  to  Herod ;  there- 
fore they  returned  by  another  way  to  their  country. 

A.    THE   ADORATION    OF   THE   THREE    WISE   MEN. 

III.  Development  —  Hope.  How  did  the  wise  men 
learn  the  birth  of  the  Redeemer?  From  a  Star.  The 
prophets  had  foretold  that  a  special  Star  would  appear  at 
the  birth  of  the  Redeemer,  and  that  the  Redeemer  would 
be  king  in  Judea.  Who  had  told  this  to  the  prophets? 
God.  But  what  God  says  is  true.  Therefore  the  wise 
men  firmly  believed  it.  And  they  wished  to  see  the  Re- 
deemer. They  went  to  Judea.  In  what  city  did  they  first 
seek  the  Redeemer?  What  did  they  inquire  about  Him? 
Who  had  called  the  Redeemer  a  king?  Why  did  the  wise 
men  seek  the  new-born  King  in  Jerusalem?  Because  King 
Herod  lived  there.  They  therefore  believed  they  would 
surely  find  the  Redeemer  in  the  royal  city  of  Jerusalem. 
Therefore  they  said:  'They  hoped  surely  to  find  the  Re- 
deemer." But  they  did  not  find  Him  in  Jerusalem.  But 
through  King  Herod  they  found  out  that  the  Redeemer 
was  to  be  born  at  Bethlehem.  They  at  once  started  for 
Bethlehem.  And  as  they  left  Jerusalem,  the  Star  again 
appeared  to  them.  What  were  their  feelings  at  this  sight? 
Why?  They  felt  sure  of  finding  the  Redeemer.  They  fol- 
lowed the  Star.     Where  did  the  Star  stop? 

Faith.  Naturally  a  king's  son  is  born  in  a  palace;  but 
the  wise  men  stood  in  front  of  a  miserable  stable.     They 


26o  FIRST  COMMANDMENT 

go  in.  They  seek  a  king's  child  in  a  costly  decorated 
cradle.  And  they  find  a  Child  in  a  manger  lying  on  straw. 
A  royal  child  is  usually  surrounded  by  many  noble  at- 
tendants. And  whom  do  they  find  with  the  Infant  Jesus? 
Others  would  have  probably  thought :  "  And  is  this  Infant 
lying  on  straw  in  a  manger  in  this  wretched  stable  really 
the  King  of  the  Jews?  "  But  the  wise  men  believed  in  this 
Infant  King.  They  believe  Him  to  be  the  promised  Re- 
deemer, because  the  Star  indicated  Him.  They  believe  Him 
to  be  the  King  of  the  Jews.  They  believe  that  poor  In- 
fant to  be  the  infinite,  great,  rich  and  almighty  God.  By 
their  faith  they  honor  and  worship  the  divine  Infant.  The 
wise  men  believed  in  the  Infant  Jesus. 

Adoration.  The  wise  men  had  already  said  in  Jerusalem 
why  they  were  seeking  that  Infant.  In  order  to  adore 
Him.  Adoration  is  due  to  God  alone.  What  did  the  wise 
men  believe  the  new-born  King  of  the  Jews  to  be?  God. 
And  how,  on  this  account,  did  they  worship  that  Infant, 
when  they  had  entered  the  stable?  They  prostrated  them- 
selves before  the  Infant  Jesus  and  adored  Him.  Therefore 
they  took  off  their  crowns,  for  they  knew  that  that  Child 
was  a  far  greater  king  than  they.  Where  is  His  throne? 
This  Child  is  the  King  and  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth. 
Before  Him  they  are  very  little,  as  a  mere  nothing.  All 
that  they  are  and  have,  come  from  Him,  for  He  is  their 
Lord  and  their  God. 

King  and  Lord.  People  willingly  make  presents  to  the 
great ;  they  wish  to  honor  them  by  so  doing.  In  like  man- 
ner, the  wise  men  brought  gifts  to  the  divine  Child.  Each 
of  them  had  brought  the  best  his  country  produced.  What 
was  the  gift  of  the  first  of  these  wise  men?  Gold.  A  king 
wears  a  golden  crown.  Therefore  gold  is  the  gift  for  a 
king.  The  head  of  the  Infant  Jesus  should  be  decorated 
with  the  most  beautiful  crown  of  gold.  Why?  In  what 
capacity  did  the  wise  men  present  gold  to  the  Infant  Jesus? 
They  intended  to  honor  him  as  a  king. 


THE  WORSHIP  OF  GOD  261 

God.  What  gift  did  the  second  of  the  wise  men  offer 
to  the  Infant  Jesus?  Incense  is  placed  in  a  censer,  that 
its  sweet  fragrance  should  ascend  to  God.  Incense  is 
offered  to  God.  By  offering  incense  the  wise  men  wor- 
shiped the  Infant  Jesus  as  God.  Hence  by  their  gifts  they 
honored  the  Infant  Jesus  as  King  and  as  God. 

To  love  above  all.  What  do  we  show  when  we  make  a 
present  to  some  one?  That  we  love  him.  What  did  the 
wise  men  show  to  the  Infant  Jesus  by  their  beautiful  gifts? 
That  they  loved  Him.  That  Child  was  dearer  to  them 
than  their  gold  and  silver,  than  their  parents,  than  their 
own  children,  than  everything  in  the  whole  world.  How 
much  did  the  wise  men  love  the  Infant  Jesus?  The  wise 
men  loved  the  Infant  Jesus  above  all  things.  They  wor- 
shiped the  Infant  Jesus  by  their  great  love. 

To  hope.  The  wise  men  would  have  liked  to  remain 
with  the  Infant  Jesus.  But  they  had  to  return  to  their 
own  country.  They  wept  when  taking  leave  of  the  Infant 
Jesus.  They  knew  they  would  again  see  Him.  Why  did 
the  Infant  Jesus  come  upon  earth  ?  To  redeem  us  from  sin. 
Where  then  again  can  men  go?  To  heaven.  The  wise 
men  believed  that  the  Infant  Jesus  would  enable  them  to 
go  to  heaven.  Wnere,  then,  did  the  wise  men  expect  to 
see  again  the  Infant  Jesus?  The  wise  men,  therefore, 
hoped  in  the  Infant  Jesus.  By  their  hope  they  honored  and 
worshiped  the  Infant  Jesus. 

How,  then,  did  the  wise  men  honor  the  Infant  Jesus?  1, 
They  believed  in  Him ;  2,  they  hoped  in  Him ;  3,  they  loved 
Him  above  all  things ;  4,  they  adored  the  Infant  Jesus. 
How  did  they  consider  the  Infant  Jesus?  The  wise  men 
considered  and  honored  the  Infant  Jesus  as  King  and  God. 

B.    OUR    ADORATION    OF    GOD. 

IV.  Faith.  The  first  commandment  is :  "I  am  the  Lord 
thy  God ;  thou  shalt  not  have  strange  gods  before  Me." 
Which    people    adored    strange    gods    besides    God?     The 


262  FIRST  COMMANDMENT 

Israelites.  The  Israelites,  therefore,  believed  in  many 
gods.  That  was  a  grievous  sin.  There  is  only  one  God. 
God  is  a  spirit.  We  cannot  see  Him.  But  we  must  believe 
in  Him.  God  Himself  has  said :  "  I  am  God,  and  there 
is  no  God  besides  Me."  What  God  says  is  true.  He  is 
the  eternal  Truth.  What  do  we  then  owe  to  God?  We 
are  bound  to  believe  in  God.  By  this  faith  we  honor  and 
worship  God. 

To  azvaken  our  faith.  Every  child  of  God  received  this 
faith  in  baptism.  This  faith  is  always  in  the  child  that 
is  baptized.  But  the  child  does  not  always  think  on  it. 
This  faith,  is,  as  it  were,  asleep  in  the  child's  soul.  But 
it  needs  to  be  awakened.  That  takes  place  when  we  say 
it  to  ourselves,  when  we  say  it  to  God,  that  we  firmly  be- 
lieve in  Him.  We  can  do  it  with  these  words :  "  My  God, 
I  believe  in  Thee,  the  eternal  Truth."  You  ought  daily 
to  say  that  little  prayer.  You  know  another  prayer  in 
which  we  express  our  belief  in  God.  Name  it.  The 
Apostles'  Creed.     How  does  it  begin? 

Hope.  He  who  believes  in  God  and  keeps  His  com- 
mandments, will  go  to  heaven.  God  promised  it.  Suppose 
a  person  commits  a  mortal  sin  after  baptism ;  can  he  yet 
go  to  heaven,  if  he  dies  in  that  state?  He  would  be  cast 
by  God  into  hell,  to  burn  forever  in  its  fire.  But  God 
does  not  wish  the  sinner  to  be  lost.  He  has  compassion 
on  him,  and  will  willingly  forgive  him,  if  the  sinner  is 
sorry  for  his  sins  and  confesses  them.  God  promised  this. 
God  is  infinitely  merciful.  What  may  he  hope  for,  who 
dies  without  sin  ?  To  go  to  heaven.  What  may  the  great- 
est sinner  hope  for,  if  he  is  sorry  for  his  sins?  He  may 
hope  to  go  to  heaven.  Why?  God  promised  it;  God  is 
merciful.     We  must,  therefore,  hope  in  God. 

To  atcaken  hope.  He  who  hopes  in  God's  mercy,  honors 
God.  And  that  is  what  God  demands  of  us.  How  should 
we  honor  God  on  account  of  His  mercy?  We  must  hope 
in  God.     Every  child  of  God  possesses  this  hope  after  his 


LOVE  OF  GOD  263 

baptism.  But  it  sleeps  in  him,  like  faith.  What  must  we 
do  to  awaken  this  hope?  We  must  awaken  it,  by  saying: 
"  O  my  God,  I  hope  in  Thee,  as  the  infinite  Mercy." 
Henceforth  daily  awaken  your  hope  in  that  way. 

Love.  How  to  awaken  it.  What  have  you  just  been 
told  to  awaken  every  day?  Faith.  What  did  you  learn 
some  time  ago  that  you  should  daily  awaken  in  your  heart? 
Love.  What  do  you  say  when  you  awaken  in  your  heart 
love  for  God?  "O  my  God,  I  love  Thee  as  the  chief 
(supreme)  Good."  With  what  do  we  love  God?  With 
our  heart,  soul  and  mind.  When  we  say  these  words, 
our  heart,  soul  and  mind  should  be  with  God.  How  much 
should  we  love  God?  With  our  whole  heart,  our  whole 
soul,  our  whole  mind,  and  with  all  our  strength ;  in  a 
word,  we  must  love  God  above  all  things.  How  do  we 
show  that  we  love  God?  When,  to  please  Him,  we  do 
good  and  avoid  evil.  Why  should  we  love  God?  Because 
He  is  the  chief  (supreme)  Good.  He  who  loves  God  as 
the  chief  and  most  beautiful  Good,  honors  God.  This  God 
demands  of  us.  How  should  we  honor  God,  because  He 
is  the  chief  Good?  We  should  love  God  above  all  things. 
Why  should  we  honor  (worship)  God?  1,  Because  He  is 
the  eternal  Truth;  2,  because  He  is  infinitely  merciful;  3, 
because  He  is  the  chief  Good. 

Divine  worship  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  How  did  the 
wise  men  worship  the  divine  Infant,  when  they  entered 
the  stable?  They  prostrated  themselves  before  Him  and 
adored  Him.  Where  do  we  find  the  Infant  Jesus?  In 
the  church.  He  dwells  in  the  tabernacle.  The  tabernacle 
is  His  crib.  We  cannot  see  the  Infant  Jesus  as  the  wise 
men  saw  Him.  He  is  concealed  in  the  Sacred  Host.  The 
wonderful  Star  is  there  also.  It  is  the  lamp  constantly 
burning  before  the  tabernacle.  It  is  like  a  fiery  little 
tongue  saying  to  us :  "  Here  Jesus  dwells."  Therefore 
whenever  we  enter  the  church  we  come  like  the  wise  men, 
into  the  presence  of  the  Infant  Jesus.     How  should  we 


264  FIRST  COMMANDMENT 

honor  Jesus  ?  We  should  adore  Him.  Therefore  on  enter- 
ing the  church  we  at  once  look  towards  the  tabernacle, 
and  genuflect  before  entering  a  pew.  What  do  we  say 
when  we  take  our  place?     "  In  the  name  of  the  Father,  etc. 

0  Jesus  to  Thee  I  live,  to  Thee  I  die,  Thine  I  am  in  life 
and  in  death.  Amen.  In  the  name  of  the  Father,"  etc. 
Thus  we  adore  our  Saviour.  We  should  adore  God  alone. 
To  Him  alone  is  due  this  act  of  worship.  We  adore  in 
the  Blessed  Sacrament  Jesus  as  God. 

Divine  worship  in  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  Our 
loving  Saviour  every  day  comes  down  from  heaven  upon 
the  altar.  This  takes  place  at  the  Consecration  of  the 
Mass.  The  priest  raises  Him  in  the  Sacred  Host,  that 
we  may  see  and  adore  Him.  It  is  then  that  the  altar  boys 
ring  the  bell,  and  the  faithful,  in  profound  adoration,  say 
in  their  heart :  "  O  Jesus,  my  Lord  and  my  God.  O  Sac- 
rament most  holy,  O  Sacrament  divine,  all  praise  and 
thanksgiving  be  forever  Thine."  The  same  happens  when 
the  priest  raises  the  chalice  containing  the  precious  blood 
of    our   Lord.     We    should   then    say :     "  Eternal    Father, 

1  offer  Thee  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  in  satis- 
faction for  my  sins  and  for  the  Holy  Church." 

The  Offertory.  You  should  not  merely  adore  the  Infant 
Jesus,  but  should  also,  like  the  wise  men,  make  an  offering 
to  Him.  He  does  not  ask  of  you  gold,  or  incense,  or 
myrrh.  He  wishes  something  more  valuable.  You  should 
during  the  Mass  offer  yourselves  to  the  Infant  Jesus. 
What  is  the  name  of  that  part  of  the  Mass  when  this 
should  be  done?  And  how  will  you  make  that  offering? 
By  saying :  "  O  my  Jesus,  I  give  Thee  my  body  and  my 
soul  and  my  whole  heart,  and  all  that  I  am  and  all  that  I 
have.  Make  me  all  Thine."  Who  gave  you  your  body 
and  your  soul,  and  your  heart,  and  all  you  are  and  all  you 
have?  To  whom,  then,  do  you  belong?  Who  is  your 
Lord  and  Master?  And  our  Saviour  especially  is  our 
Lord.     And  how  did  He  become  so?     Therefore  let  us, 


THE  WORSHIP  OF  GOD  265 

at  the  Offertory,  give  ourselves  freely  to  our  dear  Saviour; 
our  heart,  our  body,  our  soul,  our  whole  being.  By  doing 
so  we  honor  and  worship  Him  as  our  Lord.  He  especially 
desires  our  heart,  our  love,  He  who  suffered  and  died  to 
gain  our  heart,  our  love.  Will  you  not  give  Him  your 
heart?     You  have  already  been  taught  how  to  do  it. 

When  the  priest  raises  the  host  upon  the  little  golden 
plate,  you  should  in  your  thoughts  place  your  heart  upon 
that  little  plate,  saying:  "Dearest  Infant  Jesus,  I  offer 
Thee  my  heart;  deign  to  accept  it  and  preserve  it  pure 
from  all  sin."  But  not  every  heart  is  pleasing  to  Jesus. 
What  kind  of  heart  pleases  Him? 

The  Communion.  Jesus  loves  to  enter  a  pure  heart. 
During  every  Mass  the  Infant  Jesus  comes  into  the  heart 
of  the  priest.  Before  receiving  Him  into  his  heart  the 
priest  strikes  his  breast  three  times,  saying:  "  Lord,  I  am 
not  worthy,"  etc.  This  part  of  the  Mass  is  called  the  Com- 
munion. It  comes  shortly  after  the  Consecration.  You 
can  easily  tell  when  the  priest  is  at  the  Communion,  for 
the  altar  boy  rings  the  bell  each  time  the  priest  says : 
"  Lord,  I  am  not  worthy,"  etc.  You  should  then  do  like 
the  priest,  and  strike  your  breast  at  each  ringing  of  the 
bell,  saying:  "Lord,  I  am  not  worthy,"  etc.  Then  add: 
"  Jesus,  Jesus,  come  to  me ;  my  heart  longs  for  Thee ;  I 
desire  to  receive  Thee.  Make  me  good  and  pure ;  keep 
me  from  sin."  And  Jesus  will  gladly  come  spiritually  into 
your  soul.  (Questions  for  repetition  appropriate  to  the 
foregoing  on  the  Consecration,  etc.)  Children  should  each 
have  a  prayer  book  and  bring  it  with  them  to  church,  and 
during  Mass  they  should  make  use  of  the  prayers  in  it 
for  hearing  Mass.  You  should  pray  not  only  in  the  church, 
but  also  at  home.  What  prayers  should  you  say  in  the 
morning?  At  the  ringing  of  the  Angelus?  Before  and 
after  meals?  And  at  night?  All  these  prayers  make  up 
what  we  call  the  daily  prayers.  He  who  wilfully  neglects 
his  daily  prayers,  especially  for  some  time,  cannot  be  ex- 


266  FIRST  COMMANDMENT 

cused  from  sin.  Some  children  hardly  ever  say  a  prayer; 
others  usually  say  theif  night  prayers,  but  never  their 
morning  prayers,  or  any  other.  That  shows  they  do  not 
love  prayer. 

Of  whom  do  pious  children  think,  when  they  say  their 
prayers?  Of  God.  They  pray  devoutly,  and  their  prayer 
is  pleasing  to  God.  Other  children  say  their  prayers,  but 
usually  think  of  something  else  than  God,  when  they  are 
praying.  Some  even  laugh,  look  around  when  they  are 
saying  their  prayers.  In  the  morning  they  think  of  their 
play  or  their  breakfast  when  saying  their  morning  prayers. 
Even  in  church,  whilst  they  are  praying,  they  think  of 
almost  everything  else,  except  of  God.  Wilfully  to  think 
of  other  things,  to  gaze  around  or  to  laugh  during  prayer 
is  sinful,  for  it  is  a  want  of  respect  for  God.  When 
therefore  you  go  to  confession,  accuse  yourself  of  being 
wilfully  distracted  during  prayer  in  this  way:  "I  accuse 
myself  of  being  wilfully  distracted  during  prayer  " ;  then 
add  whether  it  is  always,  every  day,  or  only  a  few  times. 
You  pray  well,  if  you  try  your  best  to  think  of  God  all 
the  time  you  are  praying. 

As  to  those  who  wilfully  neglect  their  daily  prayers,  they 
should  confess :  "  I  neglected  my  prayers  " ;  then  say  if 
it  was  often,  or  only  a  few  times;  or  even  if  it  was  for 
weeks  and  months.  To  neglect  all  prayer  for  about  two 
months  is  surely  a  mortal  sin,  and  must  be  confessed. 

Table  of  sins  against  the  first  commandment :  I  neglected 
my  daily  prayers.     I  did  not  pray  devoutly. 

5.  The  Worship  of  God  by  Sacrifice. 

Object.  I  will  tell  you  to-day  how  the  first  men  wor- 
shiped God. 

I.  Preparation.  When  we  wish  to  worship  God  right 
well,  we  go  to  the  church.  The  first  men  had  no  churches, 
no  altars.     When  they  wished  to  worship  God,  they  built 


SACRIFICE  267 

an  altar  of  stones.  On  it  they  placed  wood,  and  on  the 
wood  they  laid  ears  of  corn,  apples,  cherries  and  other 
fruits,  or  a  lamb,  intending  to  give  these  things  to  God. 
They  set  fire  to  the  wood  in  order  to  burn  everything  on 
it  as  an  offering  to  God.  This  was  a  sacrifice.  Whilst 
those  things  were  burning,  they  would  kneel  and  pray  thus : 
"  Thou  art,  O  God,  our  supreme  Lord  and  Master.  All 
that  we  are  and  all  that  we  have  comes  from  Thee.  Thou 
hast  also  given  us  life.  We  would  willingly  give  Thee  all 
that  we  are  and  all  that  we  have,  and  even  our  very  life; 
but  Thou  dost  not  wish  it.  We,  therefore,  give  Thee  the 
finest  things  we  have,  our  best  fruits,  our  most  beautiful 
lamb.  Deign  favorably  to  accept  these  our  gifts."  And  if 
the  smoke  from  the  burning  gifts  rose  beautifully  upwards, 
they  believed  God  to  have  graciously  accepted  their  sacri- 
fice. I  will  also  relate  to  you  how  the  sons  of  Adam  and 
Eve  worshiped  by  sacrifice. 

II.  Relation.  Adam  and  Eve  had  two  sons;  Cain  was 
the  first,  and  Abel  the  second.  Cain  was  a  farmer  and 
Abel,  a  shepherd.  Abel  was  good,  and  Cain  was  wicked. 
One  day  each  offered  a  sacrifice  to  God.  Abel  offered  the 
finest  lambs  of  his  flock,  and  Cain  offered  fruits  of  the 
earth.  God  was  pleased  with  Abel  and  his  sacrifice ;  but 
did  not  regard  Cain  and  his  sacrifice.  Cain  was  very 
angry,  and  looked  very  gloomy.  The  Lord  spoke  to  Cain. 
"Why  art  thou  angry  and  dost  look  gloomy?  If  thou 
actest  right,  thou  shalt  be  rewarded ;  but  if  thou  dost  evil, 
punishment  shall  await  thee.  Repress  thy  evil  inclinations, 
otherwise  they  shall  rule  over  thee."  Cain  did  not  heed 
God's  warning.  One  day  he  said  to  his  brother :  "  Let 
us  go  out  into  the  field."  When  they  had  gone  out,  Cain 
fell  upon  his  brother  Abel  and  killed  him.  God  asked 
Cain  :  "  Where  is  Abel,  thy  brother?  "  Cain  replied :  "  I 
do  not  know;  am  I  my  brother's  keeper?"  God  said  to 
him:  "  What  hast  thou  done?  The  voice  of  thy  brother's 
blood  crieth  to  Me  from  the  earth.     Be  thou,  therefore, 


268  FIRST  COMMANDMENT 

cursed  upon  the  earth.  When  thou  shalt  till  it,  it  shall 
not  yield  to  thee  its  fruit.  A  fugitive  and  a  vagabond 
shalt  thou  be  upon  the  earth."  And  Cain  went  out  from 
the  face  of  the  Lord,  and  became  a  fugitive,  and  found 
no  rest. 

Consideration  —  The  sacrifices  of  Cain  and  Abel.  How 
were  the  two  sons  of  Adam  and  Eve  called?  Who  was 
the  elder  son?  Who  was  the  younger?  What  was  Cain? 
What  was  Abel?  The  brothers  were  very  different  in 
their  hearts  from  each  other.  Wrhat  kind  of  a  heart  had 
Cain?  What  kind  had  Abel?  Abel  did  what  was  right 
before  God.  He  was  just.  What  did  they  one  day  offer 
to  God?  For  what  purpose  did  they  do  this?  To  wor- 
ship God  as  the  supreme  Lord  of  all  things.  They  built 
each  an  altar.  What  did  they  put  first  on  the  altar? 
What  did  they  place  on  the  wood?  What  was  Cain's 
offering?  What  was  Abel's?  Each  one  offered  the  best 
he  had;  Cain  offered  the  finest  fruits  (products)  of  the 
earth,  and  Abel,  his  finest  lamb.  Each  of  them  set  fire 
to  his  sacrifice.  Then  both  knelt  down,  and  besought  God 
to  accept  their  offerings.  Abel's  offering  burnt  beautifully ; 
the  flames  and  smoke  ascended  beautifully  heavenward. 
The  smoke  of  Cain's  sacrifice  fell  to  the  ground.  Whose 
sacrifice  was  pleasing  to  God?  God  regarded  it  with 
pleasure.  Whose  sacrifice  God  did  not  regard?  What 
could  Cain  learn  therefrom? 

Abel.  Let  us  see  why  God  was  pleased  with  Abel's 
sacrifice.  Each  of  the  two  brothers  built  a  beautiful  altar, 
and  offered  thereon  the  best  he  had.  Each  knelt  down 
nicely  and  prayed  to  God  to  accept  his  sacrifice.  Of  whom 
must  we  think  when  we  pray?  When  we  think  of  God  in 
our  prayer,  our  soul  is  with  God.  We  have  devotion,  and 
the  love  of  God  is  awakened  in  us.  This  was  the  case 
with  Abel  when  he  was  praying  near  his  sacrifice.  He 
forgot  everything  else  around  him;  he  thought  only  of 
God,  and  his  heart  was  inflamed  with  the  love  of  God. 


SACRIFICE  269 

Cain.  It  was  entirely  different  with  Cain.  Whilst  he 
was  praying,  his  thoughts  were  directed  to  his  crops  on 
his  farm  (enumerate).  These  were  his  greatest  joy.  To 
whom  ought  Cain  to  have  directed  his  thoughts  and  his 
soul  during  his  prayer?  What  would  then  have  been 
awakened  in  his  heart?  What  was  wanting  to  his  prayer? 
Devotion  and  love  of  God. 

The  heart.  In  what  did  the  two  brothers  appear  to 
have  acted  well  alike  in  their  sacrifice?  In  all  that  was 
outward.  In  what  were  they  entirely  different?  In  what 
was  inward ;  in  their  heart.  Let  us  take  a  look  into  their 
hearts.  What  did  God  see  in  Abel's  heart?  Love  of  God 
and  devotion.  What  was  wanting  in  Cain's  heart?  There- 
fore only  Abel's  sacrifice  was  pleasing  to  God.  Even  if 
we  perform  very  nicely  all  that  is  outward,  make  a  fine 
genuflection,  join  our  hands  in  a  devout  manner,  that  is 
not  sufficient.  What  does  God  consider  the  most?  The 
heart.     God  looks  upon  the  heart  as  the  most  essential. 

Envy  and  anger.  Cain  would  have  God  to  take  pleasure 
in  his  sacrifice.  What  would  he  have  been  obliged  to 
change  in  his  conduct  to  obtain  God's  pleasure?  He  should 
have  thought :  "  I  must  endeavor  to  have  as  good  a  heart 
as  Abel,  so  that  I  may  have  in  prayer  devotion  and  love 
of  God.  I  will  henceforth  think  oftener  on  God,  that  God 
may  be  pleased  with  my  sacrifice."  But  unfortunately 
Cain  did  not  do  this.  What  were  his  feelings  towards 
Abel,  because  God  had  been  pleased  with  his  sacrifice? 
His  heart  was  burning  with  envy  and  anger  towards  Abel. 
His  anger  was  very  visible  in  his  countenance,  which  ex- 
pressed both  envy  and  anger.  Whose  fault  was  it  that 
God  did  not  love  him  as  much  as  Abel?  His  own.  It  was 
very  unjust  for  Cain  to  be  full  of  envy  and  anger  against 
Abel.  God  saw  the  envy  and  anger  in  Cain's  heart,  and 
reproached  him  for  his  injustice  towards  Abel.  What  did 
God  say  to  Cain  ?  "  Why  art  thou  angry,"  etc.  In  which 
case  would  Cain  be  rewarded  by  God?     What  would  hap- 


270  FIRST  COMMANDMENT 

pen  to  him  if  he  did  evil?  Perhaps  Cain  had  already 
thought  of  putting  Abel  out  of  the  way.  How  did  God 
admonish  him  for  this?     "  Repress  thy  evil  inclinations." 

The  crime.  Cain  did  not  heed  God's  admonition.  What 
did  he  say  one  day  to  Abel?  What  a  crime  did  he  commit 
in  the  field  on  that  day?  So  far  had  his  envy  and  anger 
led  him  as  to  commit  murder. 

The  punishment.  God  knew  what  Cain  had  done.  What 
did  He  ask  Cain?  Cain  should  have  acknowledged  that 
he  had  killed  his  brother,  and  said  to  God :  "  Dear  Lord, 
I  am  sorry  for  my  terrible  crime.  Deign  to  forgive  me." 
Cain  could  then  have  hoped  for  God's  forgiveness ;  for 
God  is  most  merciful.  He  forgives  even  the  most  heinous 
crimes.  He  would  have  forgiven  Cain's  crime,  if  Cain 
had  been  sorry  for  it.  But  Cain  was  obdurate.  What 
answer  did  he  give  God?  Then  God  reproached  him  with 
his  crime.  What  did  He  say  to  him?  The  blood  of  his 
brother  which  he  had  shed  seemed  to  have  a  voice  crying 
out  to  God  in  heaven :  "  Punish  him !  Punish  him ! " 
What  punishment  did  God  lay  on  Cain?  Cain  should  have 
no  more  happiness  on  earth.  What  should  the  earth  no 
longer  produce  for  him?  Fruit.  And  he  should  nowhere 
find  peace,  but  flee  like  a  fugitive  and  a  vagabond  from 
place  to  place.  And  so  it  came  to  pass.  Cain's  heart 
was  always  full  of  dread.  A  voice  always  said  to  him : 
"  Thou  art  a  murderer,  and  shalt  be  cast  into  hell."  Cain 
was  afraid  of  that  voice.  He  ran  hither  and  thither,  and 
would  hide  himself  out  of  fear.  That  voice  always  cried  out 
to  him :  "  Thou  art  a  murderer."  At  times  he  seemed  to 
hear  Abel  saying  to  him :  "  O  dear  brother,  let  me  go ; 
I  have  done  thee  no  harm."  And  Cain  would  then  cry 
out :  "  O  my  sin,  my  sin ;  it  is  too  great ;  God  will  not 
forgive  me." 

III.  Application  and  Picture.  The  catechist  shows 
the  children  for  some  moments  a  picture  of  Cain  and 
Abel.     Then  he  asks  them  to  point  out  Cain  and  Abel ; 


HONORING  THE  SAINTS  271 

their  respective  altars  in  the  background  with  their  sac- 
rifices. How  did  they  build  their  altars?  Which  is 
Cain's?  Which  Abel's?  How  do  you  distinguish  them 
from  one  another?  How  does  the  smoke  of  Abel's  sac- 
rifice ascend? 

Our  Sacrifice.  We  have  also  an  altar  in  our  church. 
Every  day  a  sacrifice  is  offered  on  it  to  God.  The  Holy 
Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  The  Infant  Jesus  is  offered  in  it. 
You  also  should  offer  something  to  God.  What?  Our 
heart.  What  did  Cain  and  Abel  do,  whilst  the  sacrifices 
were  burning?  They  knelt  down  and  prayed  with  joined 
hands.  They  both  knelt  and  joined  their  hands  very 
nicely.  You  should  imitate  them  in  this.  In  church  you 
should  kneel  straight,  join  your  hands  and  look  towards 
the  altar,  and  make  the  sign  of  the  cross  correctly  whilst 
pronouncing  the  words  slowly  and  distinctly.  God  pays 
attention  to  this.  But  that  is  not  yet  the  chief  thing. 
What  did  God  principally  consider  in  the  sacrifices  of  the 
two  brothers?  Their  hearts.  What  did  God  perceive  in 
Abel's  heart?  And  therefore  He  was  pleased  with  his 
sacrifice.  And  why  was  He  not  pleased  with  Cain's? 
His  heart  was  bad,  destitute  of  love  and  devotion.  The 
same  takes  place  with  your  offering  and  prayers  during  Mass. 
However  beautifully  you  would  act  exteriorly,  if  your 
heart  is  evil  and  full  of  sin,  neither  your  offering  nor 
your  prayers  would  please  God.  To  enable  your  offering 
and  your  prayers  to  please  God,  your  heart  must  be  good 
and  pure,  and  you  must  exert  yourselves  to  have  in  your 
heart  during  Mass  devotion  and  love  of  God. 

B. 
6.  Honoring  the  Saints. 

Object.  Last  time  you  heard  how  we  must  honor  and 
worship  God;  who  can  repeat  it?  To-day  I  will  tell  how 
we  are  allowed  to  honor  the  saints. 


2-J2  FIRST  COMMANDMENT 

I.  Development  —  All  the  Saints.  This  is  now  the 
month  of  May.  Every  evening  we  have  devotion  in 
church.  How  do  we  call  it?  The  May  devotion.  How 
beautiful  is  it  then  in  the  church !  Where  does  the  priest 
kneel  during  this  devotion?  At  the  Blessed  Virgin's  altar. 
What  special  things  do  you  see  during  May  on  her  altar? 
It  is  adorned  with  flowers,  and  there  are  many  lighted 
candles  on  her  altar.  We  intend  to  honor  the  Blessed 
Virgin  with  those  flowers  and  candles.  What  is  done 
during  the  devotion?  Hymns  are  sung.  Can  you  men- 
tion some  of  them?  Not  only  are  hymns  sung,  but  also 
prayers  are  recited.  WThat  prayers?  The  litany  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin.  By  these  hymns  and  prayers  we  also 
honor  the  Blessed  Virgin.  Let  us  again  repeat  how  we 
honor  the  Blessed  Virgin.  How  is  her  altar  adorned? 
With  flowers  and  candles.  How  do  we  honor  her  during 
the  devotion?     With  hymns  and  prayers. 

But  we  sometimes  place  flowers  and  lighted  candles  be- 
fore the  pictures  of  saints.  Tell  me  which  pictures  of 
saints  are  thus  honored  in  our  church.  Have  you  also 
pious  pictures  at  home?  Which  ones  have  you?  and  you? 
Do  you  pray  before  them?  In  some  Catholic  countries 
the  pictures  or  statues  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  of  the 
saints,  and  crucifixes  are  placed  along  roads,  near  houses, 
and  people  are  seen  on  their  knees  praying  before  them. 
Some  have  little  lamps  always  lit  before  them.  These  pic- 
tures, statues,  etc.,  were  placed  there  long  ago  by  pious 
people  to  honor  the  saints  and  to  excite  devotion  in  the 
hearts  of  those  who  pass  by  them.  We  honor  the  saints 
whenever  we  read  or  relate  something  about  them.  We 
venerate  them  by  singing  hymns  in  their  honor,  by  praying 
to  them,  and  also  by  adorning  their  images  with  flowers 
and  lighted  candles. 

Mary.  Mary,  the  Mother  of  God,  was  honored  already 
when  she  was  living  on  earth.  One  day  when  she  was 
kneeling  and  praying  in  her  little  room,  the  angel  Gabriel 


HONORING  THE  SAINTS  273 

came  to  her.  Who  had  sent  that  angel?  How  did  he 
address  Mary  ?  "  Hail,  Mary,  full  of  grace."  It  was 
God  who  thus  saluted  her  through  His  angel.  That  was 
a  great  honor  for  her.  God  never  saluted  any  one  else 
in  so  beautiful  a  manner.  He  wished  to  show  her  how 
dear  she  was  to  Him.  Why  was  Mary  so  dear  to  Him? 
Because  she  was  so  pious.  She  did  not  commit  even  the 
least  sin.  She  even  never  was  stained  by  what  sin  ?  Orig- 
inal sin.  Her  soul  was  as  resplendently  white  and  pure 
as  a  lily,  and  even  much  more  so.  Mary  is  the  most  beau- 
tiful, the  most  pious,  the  most  holy  among  women  and 
virgins.  How  is  she  called  on  this  account?  The  most 
Blessed  Virgin  Mary.  What  message  did  God  send  to 
Mary  by  the  angel?  That  she  would  have  a  son,  and  that 
the  Son  of  God  would  be  her  Son.  How  do  we  call  Mary 
on  this  account?  Mother  of  God.  For  what  did  God 
choose  Mary?  To  be  the  Mother  of  His  Son.  That  was 
a  still  greater  honor  for  her.  Thus  did  God  honor  Mary 
whilst  she  was  on  earth.  Where  is  Mary  now?  God 
honors  her  still  more  in  heaven.  He  placed  a  throne  for 
her  in  the  highest  heaven  near  His  own  throne.  The  Son 
of  God  placed  His  Mother  on  that  throne.  He  clothed 
her  in  a  magnificent  garment  and  placed  on  her  head  a 
crown  of  twelve  bright  stars.  (Show  a  picture  of  Mary 
crowned  with  twelve  stars.)  Who  wears  a  crown  on  her 
head?  What  is  Mary,  because  she  wears  a  crown?  A 
queen.  Yes,  God  made  her  the  Queen  of  heaven;  she  is 
the  Queen  of  the  angels  and  the  saints.  God  has  honored 
her,  therefore,  above  every  one  else. 

A  good  thing.  God  honors  and  loves  the  other  saints 
in  heaven.  He  has  adorned  them  with  wonderful  glory. 
Some  wear  white  garments,  others  red,  and  others  violet. 
Some  carry  palms  in  their  hands,  others  carry  lilies.  All 
are  as  bright  as  the  sun,  wear  crowns  and  are  seated  on 
thrones.  Thus  does  God  honor  the  saints  in  heaven.  They 
are  His   friends   and   favorites.     He  is  pleased   when   we 


274  FIRST  COMMANDMENT 

honor  the  saints ;  He  even  wills  that  we  should  do  so. 
Therefore  the  Pope  and  the  bishops  teach :  "  It  is  a  good 
thing  to  venerate  the  saints."  How  do  we  call  the  Pope 
together  with  the  bishops?  The  Catholic  Church.  We, 
therefore,  say  also:  "The  Catholic  Church  teaches  that 
it  is  a  good  thing  to  venerate  the  saints." 

A  useful  thing.  How  do  we  venerate  the  saints? 
Chiefly  by  praying  to  them.  Which  litany  do  we  recite 
in  the  May  devotions?  The  leader  calls  Mary  beautiful 
names,  such  as,  "  Mother  of  God,  Virgin  of  virgins." 
What  do  all  answer?  Pray  for  us.  In  the  month  of 
March  the  litany  of  St.  Joseph  is  usually  said.  There  is 
also  the  litany  of  the  Saints.  The  leader  mentions  (in- 
vokes) the  name  of  some  one  of  the  saints  in  heaven,  such 
as :  "  Holy  Mary,  Mother  of  God,  St.  Joseph,  St.  Peter, 
all  the  apostles,  all  the  angels,  the  Holy  Innocents."  When 
you  call  your  mother,  she  knows  that  you  want  something 
from  her.  And  when  we  call  on  Mary  and  the  saints, 
what  do  they  know  from  this?  That  we  want  something 
from  them.  And  how  do  you  answer  the  leader?  To 
whom  should  the  saints  pray  for  us?  To  God.  There- 
fore we  say  to  the  Blessed  Virgin :  "  Pray  for  me  to 
Jesus,  thy  Son."  Why  do  we  not  pray  directly  to  God? 
Sometimes  you  need  something,  such  as  a  book,  an  article 
of  clothing,  which  you  should  ask  from  your  father.  But 
you  are  afraid  to  ask  your  father,  for  he  is  displeased  with 
you.  To  whom  do  you  make  your  wants  known?  To 
mother.  And  mother  asks  father  for  you,  and  father  pro- 
cures it  for  you.  In  the  same  manner  we  act  with  God, 
when  we  wish  to  obtain  something  from  Him.  We  have 
committed  many  sins,  and  are  afraid  God  may  not  give 
it  to  us ;  and  we  go  to  our  heavenly  Mother,  and  beg  her 
to  help  us.  How  do  we  ask  her  ?  "  Holy  Mary,  pray  for 
me."  Or  we  go  to  St.  Joseph,  and  say :  "  St.  Joseph, 
pray  for  us."  Or  to  some  other  saint,  saying:  "Pray 
for  me  to  God  to  grant  me  the  favor  — "     And  the  saints 


HONORING  THE  SAINTS  275 

consent,  and  pray  to  God  for  us.  And  God  is  pleased  to 
grant  their  prayers,  their  requests  for  us,  for  He  loves  them 
as  His  friends.  He  then  helps  us  sooner,  than  if  we  prayed 
directly  to  Him.  Once  I  had  lost  my  watch,  and  I  could 
not  find  it.  I  prayed  to  St.  Antony  very  devoutly  to  help 
me  to  find  it.  And  I  soon  found  it  in  the  street  all  in 
good  order.  Thus  St.  Antony  helped  me  by  his  inter- 
cession. And  whom  does  not  the  Blessed  Virgin  help? 
How  many  very  sick  persons  have  prayed  to  her  to  cure 
them,  and  have  got  well !  But  did  Mary  herself  cure  them? 
No.  Who  cured  them?  God,  for  He  alone  can  do  so, 
since  He  is  almighty.  What  then  had  Mary  to  do  with 
their  cure?  She  prayed  God  to  cure  them.  She  helped 
to  cure  them  by  her  prayers  (intercession).  In  like  man- 
ner, the  saints  have  helped  many  by  their  intercession.  It 
is,  therefore,  useful  to  honor  and  venerate  the  saints. 

Imitation.  He  who  thus  honors  the  saints  delights  to 
hear  them  spoken  of  and  to  read  anecdotes  about  them. 
He  thus  finds  out  always  more  and  more  how  holy  the 
saints  were.  The  same  thing  happens  to  him  that  once 
happened  to  many  children.  They  were  often  with  a  holy 
boy,  called  Stanislaus.  Stanislaus  was  fond  of  staying  in 
church.  His  favorite  place  there  was  before  the  tabernacle. 
There  he  often  knelt  for  hours,  with  his  hands  joined  and 
his  eyes  cast  modestly  down,  and  looked  like  an  angel. 
Every  one  liked  Stanislaus.  All  the  children  sought  his 
company.  When  he  was  praying  in  church,  every  child 
wished  to  kneel  behind  him ;  every  one  wished  to  see  how 
piously  and  devoutly  he  prayed.  All  wished :  "  O  if  I 
were  only  as  pious  as  Stanislaus !  "  They  tried  to  imitate 
him.  These  children  soon  became  much  better  and  more 
pious,  so  that  their  parents  were  greatly  astonished  thereat. 

The  same  will  happen  to  you,  if  you  read  or  hear  much 
about  the  lives  of  the  saints,  such  as  St.  Aloysius  and  St. 
Stanislaus.  What  will  you  then  also  wish  for?  To  be- 
come pious  like  these  saints.     The  veneration  of  the  saints 


276  FIRST  COMMANDMENT 

would  then  be  very  useful  and  profitable  to  you.  There- 
fore the  Church  teaches :  "  It  is  useful  to  honor  the  saints." 
What  did  we  say  a  few  moments  ago  about  honoring  the 
saints  ?  Therefore  the  Church  teaches :  "  It  is  good  and 
useful  to  honor  the  saints." 

Mary.  Which  saint  does  God  honor  the  most?  Mary, 
the  most  Blessed  Virgin.  Why?  Because  she  is  the 
Mother  of  God.  Mary  is  our  Mother  also.  We  are  all 
her  children.  She  looks  upon  us  from  heaven  and  cares 
for  us.  She  can  help  us  more  than  all  the  other  saints  in 
heaven  together.  For  she  is  the  Mother  of  God.  If  she 
intercedes  for  us  with  the  heavenly  Father  or  her  divine 
Son,  we  are  sure  of  being  heard.  Mary  is  more  willing 
than  the  other  saints  in  heaven  to  help  us.  She  is  our 
Mother.  It  has  never  been  heard  that  any  one  invoking 
her,  has  not  been  heard. 

II.  Connection.  To  whom  must  Mary  pray  when  she 
wishes  to  help  us?  To  God.  Who  is,  then,  far  above 
Mary  and  all  the  saints?  Must  God  intercede  with  any 
one  when  He  wishes  to  help  us?  No,  for  He  is  almighty. 
He  depends  on  no  one  and  can  do  all  He  wishes.  How 
do  Mary  and  the  saints  help  us?  They  help  us  by  inter- 
ceding for  us  with  God.  Therefore  we  only  pray  to  them. 
What  do  we  say  when  we  pray  to  the  saints?  Pray  for 
us.  But  we  do  not  adore  Alary  and  the  saints.  We  may 
adore  only  God.  What  would  we  consider  Mary  and  the 
saints  to  be,  if  we  adored  them?  As  God.  But  there  is 
only  one  God.  And  God  said  from  Mount  Sinai :  "  Thou 
shalt  not  have  strange  gods  before  Me."  Against  which 
commandment  would  we  sin,  if  we  adored  the  saints? 
Against  the  first  commandment. 

III.  Summary.  What  does  the  Church  teach  about 
venerating  the  saints?  The  Catholic  Church  teaches  that 
it  is  good  and  useful  to  venerate  the  saints.  Whom  should 
we  venerate  (honor)  the  most  among  the  saints?  The 
Blessed  Virgin   Mary.     Why  do  we  venerate  the   Blessed 


HONORING  THE  SAINTS  277 

Virgin  Mary  in  a  special  manner?  We  venerate  the 
Blessed  Virgin  Mary  in  a  special  manner,  because  she  is 
the  Mother  of  God  and  our  Mother  also. 

IV.  Application,  i.  We  celebrate  feasts  to  honor  the 
Blessed  Virgin.  Can  you  mention  one  of  Mary's  feasts? 
The  Assumption,  the  Purification,  or  Candlemas-day. 
Pious  persons  honor  the  Blessed  Virgin  daily.  You  also 
should  pray  to  Mary  every  morning  and  every  evening. 
Which  of  you  prays  to  her  morning  and  evening?  You 
should  every  morning  and  evening  say  three  Hail  Marys 
in  honor  of  her  purity,  that  she  may  keep  you  pure.  When 
you  are  in  danger,  when  you  are  tempted,  say :  "  Mary, 
my  dear  Mother,  help  me;  protect  me."  If  your  father 
or  your  mother  is  sick,  if  you  are  in  great  want  or  in 
trouble,  go  to  the  church  and  kneel  before  the  Blessed 
Virgin's  altar,  and  pray  earnestly  to  Mary  to  help  you. 
She  can  obtain  from  God  everything  conducive  to  our 
welfare.  Never  forget  to  say  the  Angelus  morning,  noon 
and  evening. 

2.  We  celebrate  feasts  to  honor  other  saints.  Mention 
some  of  them.  The  feasts  of  St.  Joseph,  Sts.  Peter  and 
Paul,  St.  Aloysius.  We  celebrate  a  feast  day,  a  Holyday 
of  obligation,  to  honor  all  the  saints  together.  Name  it. 
All  Saints  on  Nov.  1st. 

3.  You  should  pray  daily  also  to  St.  Joseph,  saying: 
"  St.  Joseph,  Protector  of  the  Church,  protect  me  against 
temptation,  make  me  good,  and  help  me  to  lead  a  holy 
life." 

4.  Mary  and  St.  Joseph  are  our  patrons.  Besides  them 
every  child  has  his  own  patron.  The  saint  whose  name 
he  bears.  Who  is  your  patron?  Who  is  yours?  A  good 
child  prays  daily  to  his  patron.     Say  at  least  to  him  both 

morning  and  evening:     "My  holy  patron,  St ,  pray 

for  me."  There  are  three  patrons  to  whom  every  one 
should  pray  daily.  Two  of  them,  Mary  and  St.  Joseph 
are  for  all  children.     The  third  one  is  the  saint  after  whom 


278  SECOND  COMMANDMENT 

each  one  has  been  named.  You  should  ask  your  parents 
to  relate  to  you  something  of  the  life  of  your  patron. 
You  should  strive  to  become  as  good  and  as  pious  as  your 
patron.  You  should  at  least  know  what  he  did  to  become 
a  saint;  and  then  try  to  imitate  him.  You  cannot  give 
him  greater  pleasure  than  by  trying  to  be  good  and  holy 
like  him. 


SECOND  COMMANDMENT. 

A. 

7.  Reverence  for  the  Name  of  God. 

Object.  I  will  teach  you  to-day  how  to  pronounce  the 
name  of  God. 

i.  Preparation.  Each  of  you  has  a  name.  What  is 
your  name?  By  what  name  are  you  called?  Charles. 
The  name  Charles  has  been  given  you,  that  you  may  be 
called  by  it.  For  yourself,  for  your  own  use,  you  need 
no  name.  When  you,  Bernard,  wish  to  say  that  you  were 
at  church  this  morning,  you  do  not  say :  "  Bernard  was 
at  church  " ;  but  you  say :  "  I  was  at  church."  How  do 
the  other  children  call  you?  Whom  do  they  mean  when 
they  call  for  Bernard?  Me.  Your  name  Bernard  means 
yourself.  Whom  does  he  mean  who  says,  President?  The 
President.  Whom  does  he  mean  who  says,  God?  The 
name  God  means  God  Himself. 

Object.  I  will  teach  you  to-day  how  to  pronounce  the 
name  of  God. 

II.  Relation.  A  certain  prophet  was  permitted  to  take 
a  look  into  heaven.  He  saw  God  seated  on  His  golden 
throne;  and  there  knelt  around  Him  the  angels  and  saints. 
They  bowed  their  heads,  adored  God  and  constantly  sang 
a  wonderfully  beautiful  hymn.  "  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord 
God  of  hosts.  Heaven  and  earth  are  full  of  Thy  glory. 
Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the  Holy 


REVERENCE  FOR  THE  NAME  OF  GOD     279 

Ghost."  And  when  the  Son  of  God  was  born  at  Beth- 
lehem, the  angels  joyfully  came  down  upon  earth,  praising 
God  and  singing:     "Glory  be  to  God  on  high." 

Consideration  —  God  is  holy.  Where  did  the  prophet 
see  God  sitting  in  heaven?  On  a  golden  throne.  God  is 
the  Most  High ;  therefore  He  is  seated  on  the  throne. 
Who  are  around  Him?  The  angels  and  saints.  What 
beautiful  hymn  are  they  constantly  singing?  Why  do  they 
continually  sing,  Holy,  etc.  ?  In  what  position  do  they  sing. 
They  kneel  and  bow  their  heads.  They  do  this  out  of 
reverence  for  God.  What  were  the  Israelites  required  to 
do  when  they  had  to  appear  before  God  on  Mount  Sinai? 
How  had  they  to  prepare  themselves?  Because  God  is 
holy,  and  he  who  appears  before  God,  must  be  holy. 

The  name  of  God  is  holy.  When  we  speak  with  God, 
we  call  Him  by  His  name.  What  does  the  name  God  stand 
for?  For  God  Himself.  In  pronouncing  His  name  we 
think  of  how  great,  how  holy,  how  beautiful,  how  mighty 
God  is.  There  is  nothing  higher,  more  mighty,  or  more 
holy  than  God.  Therefore  the  name  of  God  is  the  most 
holy  of  names.  The  name  of  God  is  the  most  holy  word 
we  can  think  of.  The  first  commandment  obliges  us  to 
worship  and  adore  God. 

Revere  the  name  of  God.  What  do  we  owe  to  the  name 
of  God  on  this  account?  That  we  should  show  it  reverence. 
What  do  the  angels  in  heaven  sing  to  revere  the  name  of 
God  ?  "  Glory  be  to  the  Father,"  etc.  With  what  hymn 
did  the  angels  honor  the  name  of  God  when  the  Redeemer 
was  born  ?  "  Glory  be  to  God  on  high."  God  wills  that 
men  should  also  revere  His  name.  Therefore  He  pro- 
claimed from  Mount  Sinai  the  second  commandment  in 
these  words:  "  Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord 
thy  God  in  vain."  There  are  several  names  that  mean 
God:  Lord  God,  Lord,  Creator,  heavenly  Father,  Jesus 
Christ,  Saviour,  Redeemer. 

1.  In  prayer.     We  pronounce  the  name  of  God  in  all  our 


280  SECOND  COMMANDMENT 

prayers.  Many  begin  with :  "Omy  God."  What  name 
do  we  give  to  God  in  the  Lord's  Prayer?  Father.  In 
the  Hail  Mary  ?  Lord ;  Jesus.  We  revere  God's  name  by 
devoutly  pronouncing  it  in  prayer. 

2.  In  our  wants.  Many  pronounce  the  name  of  God 
even  when  they  are  not  saying  their  prayers.  A  child, 
for  instance,  has  just  fallen  into  the  water  and  is  already 
sinking ;  his  mother  in  great  fear  exclaims :  "  Good  God, 
help  me ! "  What  will  happen  to  that  child,  if  no  one 
comes  to  help  him  out?  He  will  drown.  The  child  is  in 
great  danger,  in  great  need  of  help.  What  name  did  his 
mother  pronounce?  When  we  call  some  one  by  his  name, 
we  wish  to  obtain  something  from  him.  Why  did  the 
child's  mother  in  her  great  need  pronounce  (call  upon) 
the  name  of  God?  That  God  might  help  her.  It  is  a 
beautiful  thing  to  pronounce  and  invoke  the  name  of  God 
in  our  need.  It  pleases  God.  By  doing  so,  we  show  that 
we  believe  God  is  almighty  and  can  help  us.  We  thereby 
honor  His  name.  God  wills  that  we  should  call  upon  Him 
in  our  wants,  for  He  says :  "  Call  upon  Me  in  Thy  need, 
and  I  will  save  thee." 

People  invoke  even  the  names  of  the  saints  in  their 
wants.  For  instance,  a  fire  suddenly  breaks  out  in  a  house. 
Some  one  of  the  family  sees  it,  and  exclaims:  "Jesus, 
Mary  and  Joseph,  help  me."  A  sick  person  in  his  pains 
cries  out :  "  Jesus,  Mary  and  Joseph,  deign  to  help  me." 
A  child  is  troubled  with  evil  temptations;  when  aware  of 
them,  the  child  says :  "  Jesus,  help  me  " ;  or,  "  Mary,  pray 
for  me."  All  these  three  persons  were  in  need.  Whom 
did  they  invoke  in  their  need?  Why  did  they  invoke 
them?  For  help.  What  did  they  show  to  those  holy 
names?  Honor.  Hence  we  honor,  or  revere,  the  name  of 
God,  when  we  invoke  it  in  our  wants,  and  also  in  prayer. 

3.  In  vows.  The  name  of  God  can  be  honored  in 
another  way.  A  child  is  dangerously  ill.  His  mother 
greatly   fears   he   will   die.     Therefore,   she   says:     "Dear 


REVERENCE  FOR  THE  NAME  OF  GOD     281 

Lord,  if  Thou  restorest  my  child  to  health,  I  promise  Thee 
a  pilgrimage  to  .  .  .,  and  to  offer  Thee  ...  I  bind  my- 
self, under  pain  of  sin,  to  do  so."  And  God  heard  her 
prayer,  and  her  child  got  well  again.  What  promise  did  the 
child's  mother  make?  To  whom  did  she  make  it?  And 
now  that  her  child  is  cured,  what  must  she  do?  Make  the 
pilgrimage  and  the  offering  promised.  A  promise  made 
to  God  must  be  kept.  How  is  such  a  promise  called?  A 
vow.  What  name  did  the  child's  mother  invoke?  By  her 
vow  she  honored  the  name  of  God. 

Breaking  a  vow.  Now  suppose  that  child's  mother 
would  not  keep  her  vow.  Would  she  act  right?  God 
helped  her,  because  she  invoked  His  name  and  made  Him 
a  promise.  Now  she  must  keep  her  promise.  If  she  does 
not  keep,  but  breaks  her  vow,  it  is  just  as  wicked,  as  if 
she  had  invoked  God's  name  out  of  mockery.  And  instead 
of  honoring  the  name  of  God,  she  dishonored  it.  But 
God  forbids  this  in  the  second  commandment.  Recite  the 
second  commandment.  It  is,  therefore,  a  sin  to  break  a 
vow. 

III.  Summary.  We  honor  the  name  of  God  1,  when 
we  pronounce  it  in  prayer;  2,  when  we  invoke  it  in  our 
needs;  3,  when  we  make  a  vow.  We  dishonor  the  name 
of  God  when  we  break  a  vow. 

IV.  Application.  You  have  just  learned  how  we  may 
honor  the  name  of  God.  You  can  do  it  many  times  a  day, 
for  instance,  by  repeating  a  short  prayer,  such  as :  "  My 
God,  I  believe  in  Thee;  My  God,  I  hope  in  Thee;  My  God, 
I  love  Thee  with  all  my  heart.  My  Jesus,  have  mercy  on 
me;  My  Jesus,  all  for  Thee;  Jesus,  help  me;  Mary,  help 
me."  But  you  must  pronounce  the  holy  name  of  God  with 
devotion,  otherwise  you  will  not  please  God.  We  should 
do  so  especially  when  we  pray,  for  God  wishes  us  to  honor 
and  revere  His  name  as  the  angels  and  saints  do  in  heaven. 
Our  divine  Saviour  taught  us  in  the  Our  Father  to  say : 
"  Hallowed  be  Thy  name."     This  means :     "  Our  Father, 


282  SECOND  COMMANDMENT 

grant  that  I  and  all  men  may  always  honor  and  revere 
Thy  holy  name  as  the  angels  and  saints  do  in  heaven." 


B. 
8.  Taking  God's  Name  in  vain. 

Object.     I  will  teach  you  to-day,  that  we  are  not  allowed 
to  take  God's  name  in  vain. 

I.  Relation.  When  Jesus  was  arrested  on  Mount  of 
Olives  by  His  enemies,  He  was  brought  that  very  night 
to  the  highest  court  of  the  Jews.  Peter  and  John  fol- 
lowed Him  from  a  distance.  Peter  went  into  the  court 
(front  yard)  of  the  high  priest,  to  see  what  would  happen 
to  Jesus.  There  one  of  the  maid  servants  recognized  him 
and  said  to  him :  '  Thou  art  also  one  of  the  disciples  of 
Jesus."  Peter  said:  "  No,  I  am  not;  I  do  not  know  that 
man."  And  then  he  swore.  Soon  one  of  the  men  servants 
came  to  Peter,  and  said  to  him :  "  Yes,  thou  art  one  of 
the  disciples  of  Jesus."  Peter  swore  again  and  wished 
all  kinds  of  evil  to  himself,  if  he  were  even  acquainted 
with  that  man.  When  Jesus  later  on  was  hanging  on  the 
cross  and  suffered  such  terrible  pains,  the  Jews  mocked 
Him,  saying :  "  He  helped  others,  and  He  cannot  help 
Himself.  If  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God,  come  down  from 
the  cross." 

Consideration  —  Szvearing.  WThere  was  Jesus  led 
after  His  arrest?  Which  two  of  His  disciples  followed 
Him?  Peter  wished  to  see  what  would  become  of  Jesus. 
Where  did  he  betake  himself?  The  night  was  chilly.  The 
soldiers,  the  men  and  maid  servants  of  the  high  priest  had 
lighted  a  fire  in  the  front  yard  of  the  high  priest.  They 
all  stood  around  it  warming  themselves.  Peter  stood 
among  them.  Wrho  recognized  him?  What  did  she  say 
to  him?  '  Thou  also  art  a  disciple  of  Jesus."  This  was 
really   so.     Peter   feared   lest   the   soldiers   would   do  him 


TAKING  GOD'S  NAME  IN  VAIN         283 

harm,  would  at  last  arrest  him  as  they  had  arrested  Jesus. 
What  was  his  answer?  "I  do  not  know  the  man."  But 
the  maid  servant  would  not  believe  him.  Suppose,  Charles, 
you  went  yesterday  with  your  brother  from  school  directly 
to  N.  (the  next  town),  far  away  from  any  orchard;  and 
some  one  points  you  out  to  the  teacher  as  having  yesterday 
after  school  stolen  fruit  in  an  orchard  near  by.  What 
would  you  answer  to  your  teacher?  "  No;  I  did  not  steal 
fruit  in  that  orchard ;  I  went  with  my  brother  directly  after 
school  to  N."  How  would  you  make  the  teacher  believe 
you?  I  would  call  my  brother.  Your  brother  would  be 
your  witness;  he  could  say  (testify)  that  you  were  telling 
the  truth. 

Peter  would  have  wished  he  had  a  witness  to  testify  that 
he  (Peter)  did  not  know  Jesus.  But  there  was  no  one 
around  that  he  could  call  as  a  witness.  Who  knows  all 
things?  God.  Who,  then,  could  have  told  whether  Peter 
knew  Jesus?  God.  And  now  Peter  called  God  as  a  wit- 
ness. He  who  calls  God  as  a  witness  of  his  telling  the 
truth,  swears  (takes  an  oath).  And  this  was  what  Peter 
did  as  an  answer  to  the  maid  servant.  Peter  swore.  In 
swearing  people  say :  "  God  is  my  witness,  that  I  am  tell- 
ing the  truth."  "  As  true  as  there  is  a  God  in  heaven, 
what  I  say  is  true."  Or :  "  God  knows  I  am  telling  the 
truth."  Peter  used  an  expression  like  these,  when  he 
swore. 

People  often  have  to  swear  in  court.  For  this,  in  Cath- 
olic countries,  there  is  in  the  court  on  a  table  a  crucifix 
between  two  lighted  candles.  He  who  swears,  raises  his 
right  hand,  and  says :  "  I  swear  by  almighty  God,  that 
I  am  telling  (will  tell)  the  truth.  May  God  help  me  and 
His  Holy  Gospel."  In  the  United  States,  the  Judge  (no- 
tary) reads  the  formula  of  the  oath  in  the  form  of  a 
question :  "  Do  you  swear  that  you  will  tell  the  truth, 
the  whole  truth  and  nothing  but  the  truth?  So  help  you 
God?  "     During  this  time  the  witness  raises  his  right  hand, 


284  SECOND  COMMANDMENT 

says,  "  Yes,"  and  then  is  expected  to  kiss  the  Bible.  Swear- 
ing (taking  an  oath)  means:  "O  God,  Thou  knowest  all 
things ;  Thou  knowest  that  I  am  speaking  the  truth.  Thou 
art  my  witness."  By  these  words  we  honor  the  name  of 
God.  We  are  not  allowed  to  swear  to  anything,  unless  we 
are  perfectly  sure  that  it  is  true,  so  that  God,  who  is  Truth 
itself,  can  testify  that  we  are  telling  the  truth. 

Swearing  falsely.  Peter  swore  that  he  did  not  know 
our  Saviour.  Could  God  have  said  to  him :  "  That  is 
true ;  you  are  telling  the  truth  "  ?  No.  Why  not  ?  Peter 
knew  our  Saviour.  He  had  always  been  with  him.  In 
swearing  Peter  did  not  tell  the  truth.  He  who  swears 
to  what  he  knows  is  not  true,  swears  falsely.  How  did 
Peter  swear?  Peter  swore  falsely.  He  who  swears 
falsely,  lies ;  and  he  wishes  God  to  say  that  he  is  telling 
the  truth ;  he  wishes  God  to  help  him  to  lie !  By  swearing 
to  what  is  true  we  honor  the  name  of  God.  But  what  does 
swearing  falsely  do  to  the  name  of  God?  It  dishonors, 
it  profanes  the  name  of  God.  It  is  just  like  invoking  the 
name  of  God  in  mockery.  To  swear  falsely  is  a  mortal 
sin.     Swearing  falsely  is  called  perjury. 

Moreover,  a  person  may  swear  to  something  that  is 
true,  and  yet  commit  a  sin  by  doing  so.  For  instance,  a 
woman,  speaking  to  her  neighbor  about  the  doings  of  her 
six-year-old  Johnny,  says :  "  I  cannot  tell  you  how  smart 
my  Johnny  is ;  he  can  count  from  one  to  one  hundred,  and 
from  one  hundred  backwards  to  one."  But  her  neighbor 
does  not  believe  that.  But  Johnny's  mother  replies: 
"  What  I  say  is  as  true  as  there  is  a  God  in  heaven." 
That  woman  has  sworn.  Why  did  she  swear?  Because 
her  neighbor  would  not  believe  that  Johnny  was  so  smart. 
But  Johnny's  smartness  is  a  matter  of  no  importance  what- 
ever. Hence  it  matters  not,  if  her  neighbor  will  not  be- 
lieve it.  God  is  too  holy  for  any  one  to  call  Him  to 
witness  things  of  no  consequence.  To  swear  is  permitted 
only  in  matters  of  real  importance  and  when  it  is  necessary 


TAKING  GOD'S  NAME  IN  VAIN         285 

to  testify  in  court,  or  when  the  law  requires  it.  When  is 
it  not  permitted?  He  who  swears  about  trifles,  without 
necessity,  without  a  good  reason,  commits  a  sin.  How  did 
Johnny's  mother  swear?  Unnecessarily.  What  did  she 
commit  in  doing  so?  To  swear  without  necessity  is  not  a 
mortal  sin  in  itself.  Who  commits  a  mortal  sin  by  swear- 
ing? Why?  Who  commits  sin  by  swearing?  First,  he 
who  swears  falsely,  and  secondly,  he  who  swears  without 
necessity.     Children  should  not  swear  at  all. 

Cursing.  Peter  committed  also  other  sins  in  the  court- 
yard of  the  high  priest.  Who  else,  besides  the  maid 
servant,  recognized  Peter?  What  did  he  say  to  Peter? 
"  Yes,  thou  art  one  of  the  disciples  of  Jesus."  What  did 
Peter  answer?  As  the  servant  would  not  believe  him, 
Peter  grew  angry.  And  what  sin  did  he  commit  a  second 
time?  And  besides  that,  Peter  also  cursed.  You  have 
probably  heard  people  cursing;  for  instance,  teamsters 
cursing  their  horses  or  their  mules;  also  persons  getting 
angry  and  quarreling  with  each  other,  cursing  each  other. 
You  have  perhaps  sometimes  heard  a  man  cursing  him- 
self, calling  on  God  to  damn  not  only  other  people,  but 
even  his  own  soul !  Peter  was  angry ;  he  began  to  curse, 
and  to  curse  himself,  if  what  he  said  about  not  knowing 
Jesus,  was  not  true!  Cursing  is  sinful,  and  the  sin  is  in 
proportion  to  the  evil  wished;  the  greater  the  evil  wished 
in  a  curse,  the  greater  also  is  the  sin.  Peter  in  cursing 
used  the  name  of  God;  he  dishonored  it;  he  profaned  it. 
He  committed  a  very  grievous  sin  by  doing  so.  How  must 
we  use,  or  pronounce,  the  name  of  God?  With  the  great- 
est reverence  and  respect.  He  who  curses  uses  it  to  insult 
and  wish  evil.  He  profanes  the  holy  name  of  God.  Some 
people  curse  very  often ;  some  even  can  hardly  speak  with- 
out uttering  a  curse.  We  sometimes  hear  even  little  boys 
curse;  some  little  boys  curse,  because  they  think  it  is  a 
smart  thing  to  curse.  Good  people  on  earth  and  the  saints 
and  angels  in  heaven  pronounce  the  name  of  God  with  the 


286  SECOND  COMMANDMENT 

greatest  reverence  and  respect.  In  hell  the  devils  and  the 
damned  are  always  cursing;  cursing  themselves,  cursing 
others,  cursing  God.  Hence  cursing  is  the  language  of 
hell.  And  those  persons,  those  children  that  curse  are  like 
the  devils  and  the  damned  in  hell ;  and  if  they  do  not 
amend,  they  will  go  to  hell  after  their  death,  to  curse  for 
all  eternity  in  the  flames  of  hell !  How  ungrateful  are 
those  who  curse  almighty  God !  They  abuse  their  tongue 
to  profane  the  holy  name  of  God,  that  tongue  which  God 
gave  them  with  which  to  praise  Him.  They  vent  their 
stupid  anger  on  the  holy  name  of  the  best  of  fathers,  of 
their  greatest  Benefactor,  of  their  Redeemer,  who  died  to 
save  them.  O  dear  children,  do  not  ever  use  that  abomina- 
ble language  of  hell ! 

Pronounced  with  levity.  Suppose  a  man  going  through 
our  town,  would  hear  his  name  called  out  by  everybody. 
This  indicates  that  no  one  wishes  to  have  anything  to  do 
with  him.  How  will  he  feel  about  it?  Angry.  No  one 
likes  to  have  people  halloo  his  name  everywhere.  It  would 
make  you  angry  or  cause  you  to  weep.  And  your  name 
is  not  a  holy  name.  But  what  is  the  name  of  God?  Not 
only  a  holy  name,  but  the  most  holy  of  names.  And  yet 
how  many  persons  there  are  who  frequently,  and  that 
daily,  say :  :<  My  God,  O  God,  my  Lord,  O  Lord,  Jesus," 
as  a  mere  common-place  exclamation,  just  as  if  this  holy 
name  were  only  a  common,  insignificant  word !  Does  this 
show  any  respect,  any  reverence  for  God  Himself  to  pro- 
nounce His  holy  name  with  such  levity?  But  as  those 
who  act  thus,  do  not  intend  thereby  to  offend  or  dishonor 
God,  they  do  not  thereby  commit  a  mortal  sin,  but  only 
a  venial  sin.  In  like  manner,  many,  who  are  addicted  to 
cursing,  curse  without  reflection,  without  meaning  what 
they  say ;  they  do  not  commit  a  mortal  sin  thereby,  but 
they  are  obliged  to  do  all  they  can  to  get  rid  of  such  an 
evil  habit. 

Blasphemy.     Whilst  our  divine  Saviour  was  hanging  on 


TAKING  GOD'S  NAME  IN  VAIN         287 

the  cross  many  Jews  sinned  grievously.  Jesus  suffered 
terrible  pains;  it  was  of  His  free-will  that  He  suffered 
them  for  the  sins  of  mankind.  But  how  did  the  Jews  cry 
out  to  Jesus  ?  They  meant  to  say :  "  Thou  hast  said  that 
Thou  art  God;  but  Thou  hast  no  power;  Thou  canst  not 
help  Thyself."  They  profaned,  mocked  and  made  fun  of 
the  name  of  God.  They  committed  thereby  the  horrible 
sin  of  blasphemy.  This  takes  place  continually  in  hell, 
where  the  name  of  God  is  blasphemed  day  and  night. 
This  grievous,  horrible  sin  is  the  sin  of  the  devils.  Some- 
times men  blaspheme  God,  when  some  misfortune  happens 
to  them,  or  when  they  get  very  sick.  They  charge  God 
with  being  unjust,  cruel,  with  not  hearing  their  prayers, 
with  not  caring  for  them.     How  terrible! 

II.  Connection.  Let  us  examine  the  ways  in  which 
the  name  of  God  is  dishonored,  or  profaned.  Who  pro- 
nounce the  name  of  God  with  levity?  Those  who  utter 
(pronounce)  it  without  reflection.  Who  pronounce  it  in 
anger  ?  Those  who  curse.  Who  profane  or  mock  the  name 
of  God?  Those  who  blaspheme,  those  who  commit  per- 
jury, those  who  break  a  vow.  Which  of  these  usually 
commit  only  a  venial  sin  thereby?  Which  of  them  sin 
grievously?  What  do  they  all  do  to  the  name  of  God? 
They  dishonor  it. 

III.  Summary.  The  second  commandment  is:  "Thou 
shalt  not  take  the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain." 
Who  sins  against  this  commandment?  1,  He  who  pro- 
nounces the  name  of  God  with  levity ;  2,  he  who  abuses 
it  by  cursing;  3,  he  who  swears  falsely  or  unnecessarily; 
4,  he  who  breaks  a  vow ;  5,  he  who  blasphemes  God. 

IV.  Application,  i.  Let  us  again  examine  which  sins 
Peter  committed  in  the  front  yard  of  the  high  priest.  What 
did  the  maid  servant  ask  Peter?  What  did  Peter  answer? 
And  what  did  he  do  besides?  He  swore  that  he  did  not 
know  Jesus.  How  did  Peter  swear?  Wrhat  did  the  man 
servant  say  to  Peter  ?     What  did  Peter  answer  ?    And  what 


288  SECOND  COMMANDMENT 

else  did  he  do  again?  And  what  else  besides?  Cursed 
himself.  How  did  Peter  sin  against  the  name  of  God  in 
speaking  to  the  man  servant?  Now  suppose  Peter  would 
go  to  confession;  how  must  he  confess  his  sins?  "  I  cursed 
once,  and  swore  falsely  twice." 

2.  Johnny,  on  his  way  to  school,  stumbled,  fell  down 
and  hurt  himself.  He  got  angry  and  cried  out,  calling  on 
God  to  damn  those  who  put  that  thing  there,  which  he 
stumbled  against.  When  writing,  he  knocked  his  inkstand 
and  spilled  ink  over  his  paper;  then  came  another  curse 
in  his  anger.  How  must  he  confess  his  sins?  "Twice  I 
got  angry  and  cursed."  Robert  tells  that  he  got  a  present 
from  his  uncle  of  ten  dollars.  Albert  says :  "  I  do  not 
believe  it."  "  It  is  true,  as  true  as  there  is  a  God  in  heaven; 
may  God  strike  me  dead,  if  it  is  not  true."  How  did  Robert 
sin?  By  unnecessary  swearing.  How  must  he  confess  his 
sin ?     "I  swore  once  without  necessity." 

God  sometimes  immediately  punishes  those  who  profane 
His  name.  One  day  the  tongue  of  a  terrible  curser  began 
to  swell  as  soon  as  he  had  uttered  a  terrible  curse,  so  that 
it  hung  out  of  his  mouth,  and  he  could  no  longer  draw  it 
in,  and  thus  he  died.  Dear  children,  never  laugh,  if  you 
hear  any  one  cursing ;  say  then  in  your  heart :  "  Dear 
Lord,  forgive  him.  Hallowed  be  Thy  name.  Blessed  be 
the  holy  name  of  God." 

4.  Some  children  have  accustomed  themselves  to  pro- 
nounce the  name  of  God  with  levity.  These  children 
should  from  this  moment  make  this  resolution  every  morn- 
ing :  "  O  my  God,  I  am  resolved  not  to  pronounce  on 
this  day  Thy  holy  name  with  levity.  Help  me  to  keep  this 
resolution."  And  try  to  think  of  this  resolution  sometimes 
during  the  day.  And  in  case  you  have  again  pronounced 
the  name  of  God  with  levity,  say :  "  O  my  God,  hallowed 
be  Thy  name;  blessed  be  Thy  holy  name." 

How  to  confess  sins  against  the  second  commandment; 


SANCTIFICATION  OF  THE  SUNDAY      289 

I  pronounced  the  name  of  God  with  levity.     I  cursed. — 
I  swore  without  necessity. 


9.  Third  Commandment  of  God;  First  Command- 
ment of  the  Church.    Sanctification  of  the 
Sunday  and  of  the  Holydays  of  obligation. 

I.  Preparation.  In  how  many  days  did  God  create  the 
world?  What  did  God  do  on  the  seventh  day?  And  God 
willed  also  that  men  also  should  rest  on  that  day.  The 
seventh  day  is,  then,  a  day  of  rest.  The  word  sabbath 
means,  day  of  rest.  Which  is  the  first  holy  day  in  the 
world?  God  willed  that  this  day  should  belong  to  Him. 
God  is  our  Lord  and  Master.  What  was  the  Sabbath 
called?  The  Lord's  day.  The  day  men  should  spend  in 
a  holy  manner.  How?  By  worshiping  God  in  a  special 
manner.  Adam  and  Eve  did  this  already  in  the  earthly 
paradise.  But  men  gradually  neglected  to  keep  the  Sab- 
bath holy.  Even  the  Israelites  in  Egypt  often  did  not 
observe  it.  Therefore,  when  God  gave  the  ten  command- 
ments on  Mount  Sinai,  He  strictly  commanded  the  Israel- 
ites :  "  Remember,  that  thou  keep  holy  the  Sabbath-day." 
That  is :  "  Already  in  paradise  I  commanded  that  the  Sab- 
bath should  be  kept  holy.  Think  on  it.  Do  not  forget 
it." 

The  Sabbath,  or  day  of  rest,  was  for  the  Israelites  Sat- 
urday. But  our  divine  Saviour  did  not  wish  that  the 
Christians  should  have  their  day  of  rest  on  Saturday.  On 
what  day  of  the  week  did  Jesus  Christ  rise  from  the  dead? 
On  a  Sunday.  By  His  resurrection  the  Son  of  God  sanc- 
tified the  Sunday.  Therefore  our  Saviour  wills  that  we 
should  have  our  day  of  rest  on  Sunday.  Moreover,  it  was 
also  on  a  Sunday  that  the  Holy  Ghost  came  down  upon 
the  apostles.  On  which  Sunday?  The  Holy  Ghost  also 
sanctified  the  Sunday.     We  should  think  of  this  on  Sun- 


290  THIRD  COMMANDMENT 

days.  Sunday  is  thrice  holy  for  us.  God  the  Father,  God 
the  Son  and  God  the  Holy  Ghost  sanctified  it.  How  did 
God  the  Father  sanctify  it?  How  did  God  the  Son?  How 
did  God  the  Holy  Ghost?  Therefore  Sunday  is  the  day 
of  God,  of  the  Lord.  In  Catholic  countries  each  one  has 
also  a  day,  which  he  calls  his  day.  Which  day  is  it? 
Each  one's  name  day,  the  feast  day  of  his  patron.  How 
is  it  celebrated  in  the  family?  Sunday,  the  Lord's  day, 
is  to  be  observed,  celebrated,  by  all  men.  "  Remember," 
etc. 

Object.     I  will  tell  how  we  should  keep  Sunday  holy. 

II.  Relation.  Suppose  this  day  was  Sunday.  How 
glad  you  feel  on  Sundays.  The  whole  week  before  you 
rejoice  when  you  think  on  Sunday.  Why?  Because  there 
is  no  school  on  Sunday.  People  do  not  need  to  work  on 
Sunday.  On  Sundays  we  wear  our  best  clothes,  and  hear 
the  bells  ringing,  and  go  to  church.  People  go  to  church 
from  every  direction.  Those  who  live  the  furthest  away 
are  generally  the  first  in  church.  Holy  Mass  begins. 
There  is  a  sermon,  and  all  the  faithful  listen  to  it  atten- 
tively. All  keep  their  eyes  fixed  on  the  priest  at  the  altar 
during  Mass.  Mass  over,  all  go  home,  and  the  whole 
family  have  dinner  together.  And  usually  there  are  sweet- 
meats, or  fruit,  for  the  children.  In  the  evening  there 
is  divine  service  with  Benediction.  Is  not  the  Sunday  a 
beautiful  day?     It  is  the  day  of  the  Lord. 

Consideration  —  Abstaining  from  servile  works.  How 
many  working  days  in  the  week?  What  do  people  do  on 
those  days?  What  does  the  farmer?  The  carpenter? 
The  merchant?  How  many  days  do  people  work  in  a 
week  ?  This  God  has  commanded.  In  giving  the  ten  com- 
mandments on  Mount  Sinai  God  said :  "  Six  days  shalt 
thou  labor,  and  shalt  do  all  thy  works.  But  on  the  seventh 
day  is  the  Sabbath  of  the  Lord  thy  God.  Thou  shalt  do 
no  work  on  it,  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy  daughter,  nor 
thy  man  servant,  nor  thy  maid   servant,  nor  thy  beast." 


SANCTIFICATION  OF  THE  SUNDAY     291 

Therefore  people  rejoice  about  Sunday  the  whole  week  in 
advance.  They  are  then  allowed  to  rest.  What  kind  of 
work  is  forbidden  on  Sundays?  Farming,  working  at  a 
trade;  hard  work,  manual  labor,  sewing,  ironing,  laundry 
work  and  the  like.  These  kinds  of  work  are  called  servile 
works.  From  what  kinds  of  work  must  we  abstain  on 
Sundays?  The  servile  works  profane  the  Sunday,  and  are 
sinful.  How  do  we  profane  the  Sunday?  Some  kinds  of 
work  are  not  forbidden  on  Sundays,  such  as,  preparing  the 
meals,  getting  water,  feeding  the  cattle,  and  the  like.  Also 
we  are  allowed  to  read,  write,  study,  draw,  play  musical 
instruments,  play. 

Works  of  devotion;  Mass  and  Sermon.  We  must  serve 
God  on  Sunday.  Where  is  divine  service  held?  In  the 
church.  The  church  bells  ring  and  call  the  faithful  to 
church.  They  come  from  every  direction  to  church.  All 
are  dressed  in  their  best  clothes.  They  carry  prayer  books 
in  their  hands.  Mass  begins  and  all  look  towards  the  altar 
to  follow  the  priest  in  the  different  parts  of  the  Mass. 
After  the  Gospel  is  the  sermon ;  all  listen  to  it  attentively. 
After  the  sermon  the  priest  continues  the  Mass.  Who 
comes  down  on  the  altar  at  the  Consecration?  Our  divine 
Saviour  is  now  in  our  midst;  He  prays  on  the  altar  with 
us  and  for  us  to  His  heavenly  Father.  For  this  reason 
the  Church  commands  us  to  assist  at  holy  Mass  on  Sun- 
days. He  who  assists  at  Mass  on  Sundays,  performs  a 
pious  work,  and  sanctifies  the  Sunday.  He  who,  through 
his  own  fault,  does  not  assist  at  (misses)  Mass  on  a  Sun- 
day, commits  a  mortal  sin.  Those  who  cannot  go  to  Mass 
on  Sunday,  such  as  the  sick,  those  who  have  to  wait  on 
the  sick,  who  live  too  far  from  church,  who  on  account 
of  necessary  work  cannot  come  to  church,  are  excused  from 
assisting  at  Mass.  When  are  children  bound  to  go  to  Mass 
on  Sundays?  When  they  have  reached  the  age  of  dis- 
cretion, which  is  about  the  seventh  year. 

There  are  children  who  go,  indeed,  to  Mass,  but  look 


292  THIRD  COMMANDMENT 

around,  talk  and  laugh  during  Mass.  This  is  bad  behavior ; 
it  is  a  sin.  How  can  a  person,  a  child  commit  sin  during 
Mass?  By  misbehaving.  Where  should  we  look  devoutly 
during  Mass?  Towards  the  altar,  to  be  able  to  follow  the 
priest  in  the  different  parts  of  the  Mass.  How  should 
we  honor  our  divine  Saviour  when  He  comes  down  on 
the  altar  at  the  Consecration?  We  should  adore  Him. 
What  should  you  offer  to  our  Saviour  during  Mass?  Our 
heart.  In  which  part  of  the  Mass?  At  the  Offertory. 
And  in  which  part  should  you  ask  our  Saviour  to  come 
into  your  heart?  At  the  Communion.  He  who  does  these 
things  well,  assists  devoutly  at  Mass.  That  is  the  principal 
thing.  This  is  what  the  Church  commands :  "  Thou  shalt 
hear  Mass  devoutly  on  Sundays  and  Holydays  of  obliga- 
tion." 

Evening  Service.  Pious  Christians  assist  also  at  the 
evening  service  on  Sundays.  It  consists  of  Vespers,  or 
of  some  special  devotions  of  confraternities,  sodalities,  and 
exposition  and  Benediction  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 
There  is  no  strict  obligation  to  assist  at  the  evening  service, 
but  to  neglect  doing  so  is  to  deprive  ourselves  of  many 
special  graces,  and  especially  of  the  blessing  of  Jesus 
Christ  Himself.  But  it  is  a  strict  obligation  to  assist  at 
Mass  on  Sundays  and  Holydays  of  obligation ;  and  it  is 
a  mortal  sin  to  neglect  this  through  our  fault. 

Holydays  of  obligation.  Besides  the  Sundays,  there 
are  six  Holydays  of  obligation,  which  the  Church  com- 
mands us  to  observe  just  like  Sundays.  What  are  we 
commanded  to  do  on  Sundays?  To  hear  Mass  devoutly. 
And  what  are  we  forbidden  on  Sundays?  To  perform 
servile  works  without  necessity.  The  six  Holydays  of 
obligation  usually  fall  on  week  days.  They  are:  I, 
Christmas,  Dec.  25th,  the  day  on  which  Jesus  Christ 
was  born ;  2,  the  feast  of  the  Circumcision  of  our  Lord, 
Jan.  1st.;  3,  the  Ascension  of  our  divine  Saviour  into 
heaven,  the  sixth  Thursday  after  Easter  Sunday;  4,  the 


SANCTIFICATION  OF  THE  SUNDAY      293 

Assumption  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  into  heaven,  on 
Aug.  15th;  5,  All  Saints,  Nov.  1st;  and  6,  the  Immaculate 
Conception  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  Dec.  8th.  Who 
can  tell  me  what  is  the  meaning  of  the  Immaculate  Con- 
ception? It  means  that  Mary  alone  of  all  the  descendants 
of  our  first  parents  was  conceived  immaculate,  that  is, 
without  the  stain  of  original  sin,  because  she  was  destined  by 
God  to  become  the  Mother  of  the  Redeemer.  What  does 
the  Church  command  us  to  do  on  those  six  Holydays? 
To  hear  Mass,  just  as  on  Sundays.  What  does  she  forbid 
us  to  do  on  those  six  Holydays?  To  perform  unnecessary 
servile  work.  What  kind  of  sin  does  he  commit  who  neg- 
lects, through  his  own  fault,  to  hear  Mass  on  any  of  those 
days?  A  mortal  sin.  And  what  kind  of  sin  does  he  com- 
mit who  performs  unnecessary  servile  work  for  hours  on 
any  of  those  days?  A  mortal  sin.  (On  these  six  feasts 
and  other  great  feasts  that  come  on  a  Sunday,  such  as, 
Easter  and  Pentecost,  the  altars  and  the  church  are  usu- 
ally grandly  adorned  with  lights,  flowers,  etc.,  and  the 
priest  wears  the  finest  vestments  at  Mass  and  the  other 
services.) 

III.  Summary.  How  must  we  keep  the  Sundays? 
How  must  we  keep  the  Holydays  of  obligation?  Who 
are  dispensed  from  hearing  Mass  on  Sundays  and 
Holydays  of  obligation?  What  kind  of  works  are  for- 
bidden on  those  days?  May  necessary  servile  work 
be  performed  on  those  days?  How  must  children  be- 
have in  church,  especially  during  Mass?  Is  it  a  sin  to 
come  in  late  during  Mass  on  Sundays  and  Holydays  of 
obligation?  What  would  you  say  of  him  who,  through  his 
own  fault,  comes  to  Mass  only  at  or  after  the  Offertory? 
What  must  he  do  who  comes  late  to  Mass,  that  is,  after 
the  Offertory  has  commenced?  He  must,  if  possible,  hear 
another  Mass,  for  the  obligation  of  hearing  Mass  requires 
us  to  hear  a  whole  Mass,  to  be  present  at  least  at  the  three 
principal  parts  of  the  Mass:  the  Offertory,  the  Consecra- 


294  THIRD  COMMANDMENT 

tion  and  the  Communion.  (Insist  firmly  on  this,  on  the 
necessity  of  being  already  in  church  when  the  Mass  be- 
gins.) Do  those  children  hear  Mass  who  do  not  pay  any 
attention  to  the  Mass,  but  spend  the  whole  time  of  the 
Mass  in  looking  around,  talking  and  laughing?  What  kind 
of  sin  do  they  commit?  (Impress  deeply  on  the  minds  of 
the  children  to  behave  well  during  Mass,  to  use  their  prayer 
books  and  follow  the  priest  especially  when  the  children 
are  not  with  their  parents  during  Mass.) 

IV.  Connection  of  the  first  three  commandments  with 
the  commandment  of  the  love  of  God.  Which  are  the  two 
greatest  commandments?  Why  must  we  love  God  above 
all  things?  What  ought  we  to  be,  since  God  is  so  good 
a  father  to  us?  Let  us  see  how  a  child  shows  that  he 
loves  his  father.  On  whom  does  that  child  often  think, 
who  really  loves  his  father  and  mother.  On  whom  should 
a  child  love  to  think,  who  dearly  loves  his  Father  in  heaven  ? 
With  whom  must  a  child  like  to  speak,  who  dearly  loves 
his  Father  in  heaven?  What  is  the  meaning  of  speaking 
with  God?  When  should  we  pray?  How  do  we  call  the 
prayers  we  should  recite  every  day?  How  should  we 
pray  ?  Which  commandment  of  God  requires  us  to  worship 
God  by  love  and  prayer?  Which  is  the  first  command- 
ment of  God?  What  does  God  see  when  we  love  to  pray? 
When  does  God  see  from  our  prayers,  that  we  do  not  love 
Him  dearly?  When  we  do  not  pray  at  all,  or  pray  without 
devotion.  In  which  commandment  of  God  is  the  com- 
mandment of  the  love  of  God  more  fully  explained? 

The  child  that  loves  his  father  and  mother,  likes  to  pro- 
nounce the  names  of  father  and  mother.  What  name 
should  that  child  pronounce,  who  loves  God?  God  is 
holy;  how  then,  should  we  pronounce  His  name?  In 
which  two  cases  ought  we  to  pronounce  the  name  of  God? 
What  do  we  then  do  to  the  name  of  God?  What  does 
God  see  from  our  pronouncing  His  name  with  reverence 
in  prayer  and  in  our  wants?     But  what  does  He  see,  if 


SANCTIFICATION  OF  THE  SUNDAY     295 

we  pronounce  His  name  without  respect?  Who  dishonors 
and  profanes  the  name  of  God?  Which  commandment 
forbids  the  profanation  of  the  name  of  God?  Which  is 
the  second  commandment?  Therefore  the  second  com- 
mandment gives  a  fuller  explanation  of  the  commandment 
of  the  love  of  God. 

Where  does  a  child,  who  loves  his  parents,  like  to  be? 
At  home  with  his  parents.  We  are  children  of  God.  In 
whose  house  do  we,  therefore,  like  to  be?  On  which  day 
especially  should  we  like  to  go  to  God's  house?  What 
should  we  do  in  God's  house?  Which  divine  service 
should  we  attend?  From  which  works  should  we  abstain 
on  the  Lord's  day?  What  does  God  see  when  we  thus 
sanctify  His  day?  Which  commandment  requires  us  to 
keep  the  Lord's  day  holy?  Which  commandment,  there- 
fore, further  explains  the  commandment  of  the  love  of 
God? 

V.  Application,  i.  Let  us  again  consider  which  sins 
are  committed  on  Sundays.  Which  kinds  of  work  are 
not  permitted  on  Sundays?  Servile  works.  For  instance, 
a  tailor  says  on  Sunday  morning:  "Those  clothes  must 
be  finished."  Hence  he  worked  the  whole  forenoon.  At 
noon  he  goes  to  a  saloon.  How  did  he  keep  the  Sunday? 
Why?  Because  he  performed  servile  works  and  missed 
Mass.  How  must  he  confess  his  sins?  "I  neglected  to 
hear  Mass  on  Sunday ;  and  I  worked  all  forenoon  on  Sun- 
day." There  was  fine  weather  for  a  whole  week.  The 
weather  on  Sunday  was  also  fine.  A  farmer  said  Sunday 
afternoon:  "I  will  bring  in  the  hay."  His  neighbor  was 
already  bringing  in  his  hay  with  his  two  servants  during 
Mass  on  Sunday  morning.  What  kind  of  sin  did  the  first 
farmer  commit?  How  many  sins  did  the  second  commit? 
And  his  servants  also  missed  Mass  and  worked.  Whose 
fault  was  that?  The  farmer's.  How  should  each  servant 
confess  his  sins? 

Robert  intends  to  go  to  Mass  on  Sunday ;  but  Antony 


296  THIRD  COMMANDMENT 

says  to  him :  "  Let  us  go  into  the  woods  and  get  birds' 
nests."  At  noon  they  return  home  from  the  woods. 
What  do  you  say  about  them?  How  must  they  confess 
their  sin  in  confession?  And  what  must  Antony  confess 
besides? 

A  certain  boy  usually  missed  Mass  on  Sunday  once  a 
month.  How  must  he  confess  his  sins?  Another  boy 
heard  Mass  twice  a  month.  How  often  did  he  miss  Mass? 
How  must  he  make  his  confession?  A  boy  did  not  go 
to  Mass  for  two  Sundays,  because  he  was  sick?  Did  he 
commit  any  sin  on  account  of  it?  Frank  was  not  at  Mass 
last  Sunday;  he  had  not  yet  finished  his  breakfast  when 
the  last  bell  rang.  What  do  you  say  about  this?  Rose 
did  not  hear  Mass  last  Sunday,  for  she  had  to  get  some- 
thing in  the  grocery.  Johnny  was  not  at  Mass  either,  for 
he  could  not  find  his  shoe;  everybody  helped  him  to  look 
for  it.  Bertha  and  Louise  were  not  at  Mass  either,  be- 
cause their  dresses  were  torn.  What  do  you  say  about 
these  cases? 

Anna  could  not  go  to  Mass,  because  she  had  to  mind 
the  baby,  in  order  to  let  her  mother  go.  Did  she  commit 
any  sin?  Fanny  could  not  go  to  Mass,  because  she  had 
to  go  at  once  to  the  drug-store  to  get  medicine  for  her 
sick  father.  Did  she  commit  any  sin?  Lena  was  not  at 
Mass  on  Sunday,  because  it  was  raining  hard,  and  the 
church  was  three  miles  distant,  and  the  road  was  very  bad. 
Was  that  a  sin  for  her?  Andrew  was  in  church.  He 
first  looked  till  he  had  seen  everybody.  Then  he  said 
foolish  things  to  the  boy  next  to  him;  he  would  at  times 
punch  the  boy  at  his  left  in  the  ribs;  then  he  took  out 
his  knife  and  cut  the  pew  in  several  places.  Then  he 
took  out  the  marbles  from  his  pocket,  and  counted  them 
several  times  over.  One  of  them  fell  down  and  ran  over 
the  floor;  this  made  the  other  boys  titter  and  laugh.  He 
said  no  prayers  at  all.  What  sins  did  he  commit?  How 
must    he    confess    them?     I    misbehaved    in    church,    and 


DUTIES  OF  CHILDREN  297 

talked  and  laughed  and  disturbed  others.  And  if  it  was 
during  Mass  on  Sunday,  he  also  missed  Mass:  a  mortal 
sin. 

2.  Dear  children,  never  miss  Mass  on  Sundays  and  Holy- 
days  through  your  own  fault.  Mass  is  the  most  beautiful 
thing  on  Sunday.  A  Sunday  without  holy  Mass  is  not  a 
real  Sunday,  not  a  real  Lord's  day.  He  who  devoutly 
hears  Mass  on  Sunday,  feels  happier  during  the  week; 
he  feels  that  God  loves  and  blesses  him.  And  if  during 
your  whole  life  you  hear  Mass  devoutly  every  Sunday, 
God  will  bless  your  whole  life.  He  will  protect  you,  and 
you  will  be  sure  at  the  end  of  your  life  to  go  to  heaven. 
He  who  neglects  to  hear  Mass  on  Sunday,  will  not  pray 
well  to  God  during  the  week,  and  there  is  reason  to  fear 
he  will  not  go  to  heaven.  When  you  are  grown  up,  avoid 
working  on  Sunday  without  necessity.  On  Sunday  rest 
and  pray  well,  for  Sunday  is  the  Lord's  day. 

How  to  confess  sins  against  the  third  commandment.  I 
neglected,  through  my  own  fault  to  hear  Mass  on  Sun- 
days and  Holydays. —  I  misbehaved  in  church. 

FOURTH  COMMANDMENT. 

A. 

10.  Duties  of  Children  towards  their  Parents. 

I.  Preparation.  Which  are  the  two  greatest  com- 
mandments? Which  is  the  commandment  of  the  love  of 
our  neighbor?  Who  is  our  neighbor?  Which  persons  are 
the  most  nearly  related  to  us?  Our  parents  and  our 
brothers  and  sisters.  Which  is  the  fourth  commandment 
of  God? 

Object.  I  will  teach  you  to-day  that  we  must  respect, 
love  and  obey  our  parents. 

II.  Relation  and  consideration,  i.  We  must  respect 
our  parents. 


298  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT 

Oar  invisible  and  our  visible  father.  Look  at  a  little 
child.  God  created  that  child.  God  is  that  child's  father. 
You  were  once  as  small  as  that  child.  Who  created  you? 
Who,  then,  is  your  father?  Can  you  see  God?  WThat  is 
He  then?  Invisible.  Where  does  He  dwell?  God  is, 
therefore,  our  invisible  heavenly  Father.  When  God  gave 
life  to  you  little  children,  you  were  helpless.  A  little  child, 
an  infant,  can  do  nothing  but  cry  and  struggle.  It  needs 
some  one  to  care  for  it.  Therefore  God  gave  you  a  visible 
father  and  a  visible  mother,  your  parents,  to  take  care  of 
you. 

Parents  and  superiors,  God's  representatives.  After 
your  baptism  God  placed  you  in  the  arms  of  your  mother, 
saying:  "Here  is  a  dear  little  infant.  I  created  it.  It 
is  Mine.  It  has  an  innocent  heart  and  a  wonderfully  beau- 
tiful soul.  The  angels  and  saints  in  heaven  rejoice  over 
that  little  child.  And  I  Myself  love  it  as  the  apple  of  My 
eye.  Take  care  of  that  child  in  My  place ;  see  that  it  keeps 
alive  and  grows  strong.  Feed  it,  clothe  it,  give  it  a  home. 
Bring  it  up,  teach  it  to  pray,  to  love  Me,  to  obey  and  to 
be  pious.  Preserve  it  from  sin,  so  that  it  may  one  day 
come  to  Me  in  heaven.  It  is  destined  to  be  a  great  saint 
in  heaven,  and  to  shine  there  like  a  bright  star.  That  is 
its  right."  W7ho,  then,  is  your  kind,  almighty,  invisible 
Father?  Whom  did  God,  your  invisible  Father,  appoint 
as  His  visible  representatives  in  your  regard?  In  whose 
stead  do  your  visible  parents  care  for  you?  What,  then, 
are  your  parents?  Our  parents  are  God's  visible  repre- 
sentatives towards  us.  (Parents,  who  die  when  the  chil- 
dren are  yet  young,  are  replaced  by  foster-parents, 
stepfather,  stepmother,  adopted  parents.) 

Superiors.  Parents  are  not  always  able  to  train,  to  edu- 
cate the  child  themselves;  they  need  the  help  of  others, 
such  as  the  teacher  in  school,  the  priest,  etc.  These  per- 
sons are  the  child's  superiors,  each  in  his  own  place,  and 


DUTIES  OF  CHILDREN  299 

represent  or  replace  the  child's  parents,  and  are  likewise 
representatives  of  God. 

Honor  and  respect  due  to  the  representatives  of  God. 
God  is  our  almighty  Lord  and  Master.  What  do  we  owe 
Him?  Honor  and  respect.  How  do  you  show  Him 
honor  and  respect  when  you  enter  the  church?  When 
you  pronounce  His  name?  On  Sundays?  Your  parents 
and  superiors  are  God's  representatives.  W^hat,  then,  do 
you  owe  to  them?  And  when  you  show  them  honor 
and  respect,  you  honor  and  respect  God  Himself,  whose 
place  they  hold  towards  you.  Therefore  God  says  to 
you :  "  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother,  that  it  may 
be  well  with  thee  and  that  thou  mayst  live  long  upon 
earth." 

Example:  Joseph  of  Egypt.  Let  us  consider  how 
Joseph  honored  and  respected  his  aged  father.  Joseph's 
brothers  were  shepherds.  What  was  his  father  also? 
What  high  office  had  the  king  of  Egypt  given  to  Joseph? 
Joseph  was  a  great  lord,  and  his  father  was  only  a  shep- 
herd. Nevertheless  Joseph  was  not  ashamed  of  his  old 
father.  What  did  Joseph  send  to  bring  his  father  to 
Egypt?  Chariots.  What  did  Joseph  do,  when  he  heard 
his  father  was  coming?  He  drove  in  his  chariot  to  meet 
him.  Joseph  paid  such  honor  in  Egypt  only  to  the  King, 
for  he  was  next  to  the  King.  All  the  people  in  Egypt 
were  obliged  to  honor  and  respect  Joseph.  Hence  Joseph 
went  to  meet  his  father  with  as  much  honor  as  he  would 
have  gone  out  to  meet  the  king  himself.  What  did  Joseph 
do  when  he  perceived  his  father?  He  came  out  of  his 
chariot,  and,  like  a  good  son,  went  directly  to  his  father 
to  welcome  him  and  embrace  him.  Then  he  took  him 
with  him  in  the  royal  chariot.  Then  leading  him  to  the 
king,  he  said :  "  This  is  my  father."  For  Joseph  knew : 
"  However  high  up  I  am  in  the  world,  my  father  is  above 
me."     What  was  his  father  to  Joseph?     God's  representa- 


300  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT 

tive.  What,  then,  did  Joseph  do  to  his  father?  He  hon- 
ored his  father. 

Therefore  you  also  should  honor  your  parents.  Why? 
Because  they  are  God's  representatives.  What  do  you  say 
to  them  every  morning  and  every  night  ?  How  should  you 
speak  to  them?  Respectfully.  You  must  not  speak  to 
them  as  you  would  to  your  playmates,  who  are  your  equals. 
How  should  you  speak  to  your  superiors? 

2.  We  should  love  our  parents. 

Our  parents  love  us.  Because  God  is  your  Father,  He 
loves  you  as  a  father  loves  his  children.  With  what  do 
we  love?  God  has  for  you,  His  children,  a  father's  heart 
full  of  love.  His  heart,  with  which  He  loves  you,  is  like 
a  fiery  sun  full  of  love.  Now  God  wills  that  your  parents 
should  in  His  stead,  rear  you  for  Him.  They  must  have 
love  to  do  this  properly.  Therefore  God  let  a  spark  of 
love  fall  from  His  loving  fatherly  heart  into  the  hearts  of 
your  parents.  Therefore,  your  parents  love  you  as  if  with 
divine  love.  How  beautiful  was  it  when  you  were  yet  an 
infant.  Your  mother  would  herself  put  you  to  bed  at 
night,  and  sing  and  rock  you  to  sleep,  whilst  sewing  or 
knitting  something  for  you.  In  the  morning  your  mother, 
when  you  awoke,  would  take  you  out  of  your  little  bed, 
kiss  you,  press  you  to  her  heart.  Oh,  how  good  does  the 
little  child  feel  in  its  mother's  arms,  and  near  its  mother's 
heart!  Oh,  how  beautiful  it  finds  the  world  when  mamma 
is  near!  A  mother's  love  watched  near  you,  a  mother's 
love  cared  for  you,  a  mother's  love  protected  you.  Mother 
follows  you  everywhere,  laughs  and  smiles  when  you  laugh 
and  smile,  weeps  when  you  weep,  relieves  you  of  pain, 
when  you  hurt  yourself;  warms  your  body  in  her  arms,  and 
your  soul  in  her  heart.  And  when  the  child  is  sick,  mother 
sits  and  weeps  and  watches  day  and  night  near  its  little  bed, 
and  leaves  nothing  undone  to  allay  its  pain,  to  effect  its 
cure.  In  a  certain  house  the  mother  has  a  child  that  is 
a  cripple.     Oh,  poor,  dear  little  child !     Perhaps  others  do 


DUTIES  OF  CHILDREN  301 

not  like  you ;  but  your  mother  loves  you  so  much  the  more. 
Therefore,  the  greater  the  marks  of  her  affection,  the 
greater  and  the  more  ingenious  is  her  care  for  that  child. 

The  father  also  dearly  loves  his  children.  He  works 
hard  from  morning  till  night  to  earn  a  living  for  his 
child,  to  enable  the  mother  to  procure  all  the  child  needs. 
For  his  child  he  undergoes  fatigue,  exposes  his  health, 
wears  out  his  strength,  and  sometimes  must  put  up  with 
humiliations  and  harsh  treatment,  or  has  to  engage  in  dan- 
gerous work.  No  one  in  this  world  so  greatly  benefits  a 
child  as  its  parents.  How  do  we  call  those  who  do  us 
good?  What  are  our  parents  in  our  regard?  Our  bene- 
factors. The  greater  the  good  a  person  does  to  us,  the 
greater  benefactor  he  is  to  us.  Who,  in  this  world,  does 
us  the  most  good  ?  Therefore  our  parents  are  our  greatest 
benefactors. 

In  God's  stead.  From  whom  have  our  parents  the  means 
to  do  us  good?  In  whose  stead  do  they  provide  for  our 
wants?  Through  whose  hands  do  we  receive  God's  great- 
est benefits?     Through  the  hands  of  our  parents. 

We  must  also  love  our  parents.  What  do  we  owe  to 
our  parents  for  their  great  love  and  their  many  benefits? 
We  must  love  our  parents.  If  we  love  our  parents,  we 
love  also  Him,  in  whose  stead  they  bestow  benefits  upon 
us.     Whom,  then,  do  we  love  when  we  love  our  parents? 

Example  of  Joseph  of  Egypt.  How  beautifully  did  not 
Joseph  of  Egypt  show  how  he  loved  his  father!  What 
did  he  send  to  his  father  and  his  brothers  when  there  was 
a  famine?  Why?  What  was  his  first  question  when  his 
brothers  came  the  second  time  to  Egypt?  Why?  Joseph 
had  become  a  powerful  and  rich  lord.  But  he  had  not 
lost  his  childlike  love  for  his  father.  Which  were  his 
first  words  after  making  himself  known  to  his  brothers? 
What  does  that  prove?  Afterwards  he  said  to  his 
brothers :  "  Hasten  to  my  father."  And  where  were  they 
to  bring  his  father?     And  for  what?     And  what  did  Joseph 


302  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT 

do  when  he  again  saw  his  father?  He  embraced  and 
kissed  him  amid  a  flood  of  tears.  What  does  this  prove? 
Joseph  cared  for  his  father  and  his  brothers.  Which  part 
of  the  country  did  he  give  them?  And  what  did  Joseph 
do  when  his  father  died?  He  wept  over  him.  What  do 
you  conclude  from  all  this?  How  a  grateful  child  should 
love  his  parents. 

You  are  not  able  to  do  as  much  for  your  parents,  as 
Joseph  did  for  his  father.  But  in  how  many  things  you 
can  help  them!  Get  water  for  them,  mind  the  baby  and 
the  little  ones,  carry  messages  go  out  on  errands,  put 
things  in  order.  What  can  you  not  do  for  them,  if  they 
are  sick!  Give  them  to  drink,  hand  them  their  medicine, 
their  food,  avoid  making  noise;  remain  near  them,  to  at- 
tend to  their  wants;  pray  for  them.  And  when  you  are 
bigger,  how  can  you  show  that  you  love  them  ?  Help  them 
in  their  work. 

3.  We  must  obey  our  parents. 

The  parents  command.  Where  do  children  wish  to  go 
after  their  death?  There  our  heavenly  Father  dwells. 
Which  children  will  go  to  heaven?  Only  the  good  and 
pious.  But  it  is  the  duty  of  parents  to  see  to  it  that  their 
children  should  be  good  and  pious.  That  is  why  God 
entrusts  the  children  to  them.  Every  mother  wishes  that 
her  children  should  be  the  best  and  the  most  pious.  How 
often  does  not  a  good  mother  kneel  at  night  alongside 
her  baby's  cradle,  earnestly  praying  God  to  bless  and  sanc- 
tify her  child  and  protect  it  against  all  evil!  "Bless,  O 
Lord,  and  protect  my  child  against  all  that  is  evil."  Or  on 
a  Sunday  afternoon  the  mother  brings  her  baby  to  church 
and  kneeling  before  the  tabernacle,  beseeches  our  divine 
Saviour  to  place  her  child  in  the  wound  in  His  Sacred 
Heart,  that  it  may  be  always  good  and  free  from  sin. 
Thence  she  goes  before  the  altar  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
and  consecrates  her  child  to  the  Mother  of  God,  praying 


DUTIES  OF  CHILDREN  303 

Mary  to  protect  her  child,  to  keep  it  pure  and  be  a  mother 
to  it.  At  night  before  putting  her  child  to  sleep,  she  makes 
it  lisp  a  few  prayers  to  Jesus  and  Mary,  and  then  making 
the  sign  of  the  cross  on  its  forehead,  she  kisses  it  good 
night,  and  does  not  leave  till  the  child  is  asleep. 

During  the  day  the  mother,  tenderly  holding  her  child 
in  her  lap,  speaks  to  it  of  God,  of  the  Child  Jesus,  of  His 
birth  and  life,  of  His  passion,  etc.,  and  teaches  it  the  daily 
prayers.  She  tells  the  child  of  the  beautiful  heaven  and 
its  joys,  what  is  to  be  done  to  go  there. 

Obedience.  What  must  children  do  when  their  parents 
command  them  to  do  something  or  forbid  them  to  do 
certain  things?  Children  must  obey  their  parents.  Whose 
place  do  the  parents  take  with  regard  to  their  children? 
For  whom  must  parents  bring  up  their  children  ?  Whom 
do  children  obey  when  they  obey  their  parents?  What  do 
children  cause  to  their  parents  and  to  God  when  they  obey? 
Suppose  a  mother  has  seven  or  eight  children  as  large  as 
you,  or  even  larger,  who  are  all  obedient  to  her.  They 
are  like  a  beautiful  crown  of  flowers  around  her.  They 
all  pray  together  with  her.  Such  a  mother  is  a  thousand 
times  more  beautiful  than  a  blooming  rosebush  amid  thorns. 
God  looks  down  graciously  on  such  a  mother  and  her 
children.  And  how  proud  is  that  mother  of  her  well 
brought  up  and  obedient  children!  What  is  the  greatest 
monarch  to  your  mother  in  comparison  with  her  obedient 
child?  The  monarch  may  be  more  beautiful,  but  the 
mother  loves  her  obedient  child  best;  the  monarch  is 
richer;  but  her  obedient  child  is  far  dearer  to  her  than 
the  richest  monarch.  The  mother  knows  only  her  child, 
she  sees  him  only,  loves  him  only,  for  he  is  her  obedient 
child.  And  he  who  would  tell  you  that  he  loves  you  more 
than  do  your  father  and  mother,  believe  him  not.  You 
should,  then,  be  glad  when  you  have  a  chance  to  obey  your 
parents,  and  you  should  never  wait  till  they  repeat  the  com- 


304  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT 

mancl.  A  good  child  obeys  promptly.  Sometimes  it  may 
be  hard  to  obey.  But  what  will  make  it  easy?  To  do  it 
for  the  love  of  God. 

Consider  the  dear  Child  Jesus  in  the  house  of  His  parents 
at  Nazareth.     It  was  all  the  same  to  Him,  if  they  com- 
manded Him  to  do  something  easy  or  something  difficult. 
Nothing  was  too  much  for  Him.     As  soon  as  He  received 
a  command,   He  thought :     "  My   Father  in   heaven  wills 
this."     And  He  would  do  it  cheerfully.     His  parents  saw 
that  nothing  pleased  Him  more  than  to  be  told  to  do  some- 
thing.    There  were  then  other  persons  on  earth  who  did 
good,  but  the  heavenly  Father  had  no  greater  pleasure  in 
any  of  them,  than  in  the  quiet  obedience  of  His  Son.     The 
Son  of  God  wished  to  teach  obedience  to  children.     He 
wished  to  show  them  how  beautiful  obedience  is  in  the 
sight  of  God.     Therefore  you  should  not  always  wish  to 
do  only  what  pleases  you.     You  must,  before  all,  do  what 
your  parents  command  you.     The  child  that  does  what  his 
parents  and  teachers  command,  does  enough,  for  he  does 
what  God  wills.     Hence  all  you  do  is  beautiful  and  holy 
in  the  sight  of  God.     Not  every  child  can  be  rich,  beau- 
tiful and  smart.     That  is  not  necessary,  in  order  to  please 
God.     But  every  child  can  obey;  and  that  is  worth  more 
before  God  than  to  be  rich  and  smart.     No  matter  how 
stupid  and  incapable  a  child  is,  he  can  do  much,  for  "  he 
can    obey."     When   you    find    it   hard   to    obey    consider: 
"  Jesus,  my  Saviour,  was  obedient ;  for  His  sake  I  also 
will  obey."     And  the  more  you  advance  in  age,  the  more 
obedient  you  should  be  to  your  parents.     It  is  a  sad  thing 
when   parents  must   say   of   their   children :     "  The   older 
they  grow,  the  more  lazy  and  wicked  they  become."     Our 
end  on  earth  is  to  grow  better  every  moment. 

Joseph's  example.  You  have  a  beautiful  example  of  an 
obedient  son  in  Joseph  of  Egypt.  His  brothers  were  usu- 
ally away  from  home.  Whom  did  their  father  send  to 
them?     For  what  reason?     This  was  no  easy  matter  for 


DUTIES  OF  CHILDREN  305 

Joseph,  for  he  had  to  walk  fully  sixty  miles  where  there 
were  no  roads  and  many  wild  beasts.  Joseph  knew  also 
how  ill-disposed  his  brothers  were  towards  him.  What 
did  Joseph  do?  He  obeyed.  His  father  did  not  need  to 
repeat  his  command  or  to  threaten  or  coax  Joseph.  He 
always  obeyed  at  once. 


THE   REWARD. 

1.  Joseph  in  his  father's  tent.  Therefore  his  father 
loved  him  more  than  his  other  sons.  How  did  he  show 
this?  How  did  Joseph  get  along  with  his  father?  Well. 
What  is  the  fourth  commandment?  What  promise  did 
God  add  to  it?  "That  it  may  be  well  with  thee."  What 
did  God  promise  to  the  children  who  obey  their  parents? 
Why  was  it  well  with  Joseph  in  his  father's  tent? 

2.  Joseph  in  Putiphar's  house.  Who  bought  Joseph  in 
Egypt?  Who  was  with  Joseph  in  Egypt?  That  is: 
"  God  protected  Him."  What  did  God  cause  to  happen 
with  everything  Joseph  did?  "  God  blessed  all  that  Joseph 
did."  How  did  his  master  feel  towards  Joseph?  What 
did  he  do  to  Joseph?  What  did  God  bestow  on  Joseph 
in  Putiphar's  house?  Protection  and  blessing.  How  was 
it  there  with  Joseph?  Well.  What  promise  was  fulfilled 
in  him? 

3.  Joseph  in  prison.  What  happened  to  Joseph  on  ac- 
count of  Putiphar's  wife?  In  prison  people  are  usually 
unhappy.  Who  was  also  with  Joseph  in  the  prison  ?  How 
did  God  so  arrange  things  that  it  was  well  with  Joseph 
even  in  the  prison?  How  did  the  jailer  show  his  love  for 
Joseph?  What  else  did  God  bestow  on  Joseph  in  the 
prison?  His  protection.  The  chief  baker  and  the  chief 
butler  of  the  King  each  had  a  dream.  Who  explained  their 
dreams?  From  whom  does  the  explanation  of  dreams 
come?  Who  enabled  Joseph  to  explain  their  dreams? 
Thus  God  blessed  Joseph.     What  did  God  bestow  on  Joseph 


3o6  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT 

in  the  prison?  What  promise  was  fulfilled  in  Joseph  also 
in  the  prison? 

4.  Joseph  is  exalted.  Whose  dreams  did  Joseph  explain 
later  on?  How  was  the  king  pleased  with  his  explanation? 
How  did  he  reward  Joseph?  What  did  the  king  do  before 
all  the  people  to  honor  Joseph?  What  did  he  order  to 
be  proclaimed  ?  See  how  wonderful ;  in  the  morning 
Joseph  was  yet  in  jail,  and  now !  Now  the  whole  country 
obeys  him.  Who  brought  all  this  about?  How  did  God 
reward  Joseph  in  Egypt  for  his  obedience  to  his  parents 
and  superiors?  What  promise  was  fulfilled  in  Joseph? 
The  same  promise  will  be  fulfilled  also  in  all  good  chil- 
dren. This  does  not  mean  that  every  good  child  will  be 
a  king,  or  a  king's  prime-minister.  What  may  all  children 
who  obey  their  parents,  expect  in  this  life?  God's  pro- 
tection and  blessing.  How  long  did  Joseph  live  after  the 
death  of  his  father?  Was  his  life  a  long  life?  Who  gives 
men  a  long  life?  To  which  children  did  God  promise  a 
long  life?  Why  did  God  grant  to  Joseph  a  long  life? 
Nevertheless  good  children  may  also  die  young,  because 
God  wishes  to  have  them  in  heaven  with  Him.  And  where 
is  Joseph  now?  He  is  exceedingly  happy  there.  What 
did  God  give  to  Joseph  in  the  next  life?  Everlasting  hap- 
piness. He  does  the  same  to  all  good  children.  What, 
then,  have  good  children  the  right  to  expect  in  the  next 
life?     Everlasting  happiness. 

III.  Connection  —  Jesus.  With  whom  do  good  chil- 
dren like  most  to  be?  Who  was  the  most  holy  Child  that 
ever  lived  on  earth?  With  whom  did  the  Child  Jesus  like 
to  be?  How  did  he  always  speak  to  His  parents?  What 
did  He  do,  when  His  parents  wished  for  anything?  And 
what  did  He  do,  when  they  commanded  Him  something? 
What  did  the  Child  show  to  His  parents?  Respect,  love 
and  obedience.  What  was  Jesus  from  all  eternity?  What 
were  Joseph  and  Mary?  Men.  To  whom,  then,  did  the 
Son  of  God  show  respect,  love  and  obedience?     The  Son 


DUTIES  OF  CHILDREN  307 

of  God  was  obedient  to  His  parents  for  thirty  years.  Why 
did  the  Son  of  God  wish  to  be  subject?  Obedience  is 
necessary  for  all  men;  no  one  can  be  saved  without  it. 
Who  sent  the  Son  of  God  upon  the  earth?  What  was  He 
to  do  for  us?  Wrhat  did  Jesus  show  also  to  His  heavenly 
Father  ?  How  did  He  pray  in  the  Garden  of  Olives  ?  How 
many  times  did  He  pray  in  that  manner?  Why  did  He 
pray  thus?  What  (condition)  did  He  add  each  time  to 
His  prayer?  How  was  He  disposed  towards  His  heavenly 
Father?  And  what  did  He  do  in  the  end?  He  was  obe- 
dient unto  death. 

Sem  and  Japhet.  Which  of  Noe's  sons  honored  their 
father?  On  what  occasion ?  What  did  Noe  say  concerning 
them?  And  what  happened?  Who  imparts  blessing  to 
children  ?     God. 

Joseph.  About  whom  have  we  related  that  God  be- 
stowed on  him  His  protection  and  blessing?  How  did 
God  bless  Joseph  in  his  father's  tent?  In  Putiphar's 
house?  In  prison?  With  the  king?  Joseph  had  then  a 
happy  life.  Was  his  life  long  or  short?  And  what  did 
God  bestow  on  him  in  the  next  life?  Everlasting  happi- 
ness. 

IV.  Summary.  "  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother, 
that  it  may  be  well  with  thee,  and  that  thou  mayst  live 
long  on  earth."  In  the  fourth  commandment  God  requires 
us  to  respect,  love  and  obey  our  parents  (and  superiors), 
because  they  are  God's  representatives  in  our  regard,  and 
because  our  parents  are  our  greatest  benefactors.  The 
children  who  fulfil  their  duties  towards  their  parents  have 
the  right  to  expect  in  this  life  God's  protection  and  bless- 
ing, and  everlasting  happiness  in  the  next. 

V.  Application,  i.  Dear  children,  engrave  this  resolu- 
tion so  deeply  in  your  heart,  that  you  shall  never  forget 
it  during  your  whole  life :  "  I  will  respect,  love  and  obey 
my  father  and  my  mother,  because  they  are  God's  repre- 
sentatives   toward    me,    and    my    greatest    benefactors." 


308  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT 

Blessed  Thomas  More  held  the  office  of  Chancellor,  one 
of  the  highest  in  England.  Every  morning  he  would  go 
to  kiss  his  aged  father  and  ask  his  blessing.  His  father 
would  then  make  the  sign  of  the  cross  over  him  and  say: 
"  May  God  almighty,  the  Father,  and  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  bless  thee."  When  Thomas  More  would  enter 
a  room  where  his  father  was,  he  would  go  directly  to  his* 
father  and  salute  him  with  a  reverential  bow.  Thus  should 
children  honor  their  parents.  The  honor  you  pay  to  your 
parents  God  will  never  forget. 

2.  Love  your  parents  tenderly,  and  love  to  be  with  them. 
You  cannot  appreciate  the  happiness  of  a  child  who  still 
has  his  father  and  his  mother.  If  you  could  realize  this, 
no  one  on  earth  would  be  so  dear  to  you  as  your  father 
and  mother.  The  most  beautiful  place  in  the  world  for 
a  child  is  the  heart  of  his  mother.  The  best  place  on 
earth  for  him  is  also  at  the  table  of  his  father.  Oh,  how 
poor,  how  greatly  to  be  pitied  the  child  who  no  longer  has 
his  father  and  mother.  Strive  to  cause  much  joy  to  your 
parents.  Therefore,  be  pious,  and  be  fond  of  reciting  those 
prayers  you  learned  at  your  mother's  knee  from  her  lips. 
For  the  love  of  your  mother  you  should  never  omit  a 
single  day  to  recite  them.  Always  behave  properly;  a 
child  that  is  ever  modest  and  friendly,  is  like  an  angel. 
All  who  see  him,  love  him.  God  and  the  angels  in  heaven 
look  on  that  child  with  pleasure  and  joy.  And  people  say 
to  one  another :  "  How  happy  are  the  parents  in  having 
so  well  behaved,  so  good  and  so  pious  a  child !  "  Such  a 
child  is  an  honor  and  a  joy  to  his  parents. 

3.  I  know  one  thing  especially,  which  you  can  all  do 
for  your  parents ;  a  thing  which  you  ought  to  do  for  them 
every  day.  What  is  it?  To  pray  for  your  parents.  You 
should  never  forget  it.  Every  time  you  hear  Mass,  you 
should  pray  for  your  parents.  You  should  pray  also  at 
home  for  them  both  morning  and  night.  Have  you  prayed 
already   to-day    for   your   parents?     Pray   that    God    may 


THE  SINS  OF  CHILDREN  309 

bless  and  protect  them  and  preserve  them  from  misfor- 
tune, sickness  and  every  evil.  You  cannot  during  your  life 
ever  repay  them  for  all  they  have  done  for  you.  There- 
fore pray  to  God  to  reward  them  for  it  all  during  their 
life,  and  finally  in  heaven  forever. 

4.  Never  forget  the  admonitions  of  your  father  and 
mother.  Consider  their  teachings  as  something  sacred. 
They  seek  only  your  welfare.  And  no  matter  what  others 
may  promise  or  offer  you,  heed  them  not,  if  your  parents 
forbid  you.  Strictly  do  what  they  tell  you.  Tell  them: 
"  My  dear  father,  my  dear  mother,  I  will  willingly  do  as 
you  tell  me."  A  child,  however  much  he  may  pray  and 
work,  if  he  does  not  obey  his  parents,  is  not  a  good  child. 
If  you  fulfil  your  duty  towards  your  parents,  "  it  shall 
be  well  with  you,  and  you  shall  live  long  upon  earth." 

B. 

11.  The  Sins  of  Children  against  their  parents. 

I.  Object.  I  will  tell  you  to-day  about  a  king's  un- 
grateful son,  who  endeavored  to  dethrone  his  father. 

Relation.  Absalom  was  his  name ;  he  was  the  son  of 
King  David.  Absalom  was  very  wicked.  He  ordered  his 
servants  to  kill  his  brother.  David  was  so  irritated  by 
this  crime,  that  Absalom  had  to  flee.  He  was  allowed  to 
return  only  after  three  years.  Absalom  was  large  and 
handsome.  His  hair  was  exceedingly  beautiful  and  long. 
He  became  proud  and  would  no  longer  obey  his  father. 
He  was  anxious  to  be  the  King.  Therefore  he  at  length 
undertook  to  dethrone  and  kill  his  father.  See  now,  how 
he  went  to  work  to  gain  his  end.  He  went  around  among 
the  people  and  spoke  ill  of  his  father,  saying:  "  My 
father  does  not  care  for  you.  If  I  were  king,  I  would 
care  better  for  you,  and  help  every  one."  By  degrees  the 
people  joined  his  party,  and  at  last  revolted  against  David, 
and  chose  Absalom  as  their  king.     Now  Absalom  with  a 


310  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT 

large  army  marched  against  his  father  to  capture  and  kill 
him.  David  had  to  flee  barefooted,  in  order  to  escape. 
David  wept,  and  all  who  were  with  him  wept  also.  At 
last  a  battle  was  fought  between  the  faithful  soldiers  of 
David  and  the  big  army  of  Absalom.  Absalom's  army  was 
defeated.  Absalom  had  to  flee  on  his  mule.  Passing 
under  an  oak  tree,  his  fine  long  hair  got  caught  in  one 
of  the  branches  and  he  could  no  longer  loosen  it,  so  that 
the  mule  went  on  and  left  him  hanging  to  the  tree  by  his 
hair,  and  dangling  in  the  air.  A  soldier  came  and  drove 
three  javelins  through  Absalom's  bad  heart.  So  he  died. 
The  soldiers  cast  his  dead  body  into  a  deep  hole,  and  cov- 
ered it  with  a  big  heap  of  stones.  Absalom's  grave  can 
yet  be  seen,  and  every  one  that  passes  it,  stops,  spits  upon 
it  and  throws  a  stone  upon  it.  This  means :  "  Here  lies 
one  who  deserved  to  be  stoned  to  death."  God  says : 
"  Cursed  be  he  who  does  not  honor  his  father  and  mother." 

Consideration  —  Unfriendly.  What  was  the  name  of 
that  King's  son  of  whom  I  have  just  spoken  to  you?  Who 
was  his  father?  Why  was  Absalom  obliged  to  flee  from 
his  father's  house?  How  did  his  father  feel  over  it?  How 
many  years  after  that  he  was  allowed  to  return  home? 
Oh,  if  he  had  never  come  back  home !  He  gave  no  joy 
to  his  father.  Other  children  are  glad  to  be  with  their 
parents.  Their  faces  brighten  when  they  speak  with  them. 
They  feel  happy  to  be  able  to  help  their  parents.  They 
are  satisfied  with  all  that  their  parents  say  and  do.  They 
are  loving,  friendly  children.  But  Absalom  was  not  pleased 
with  what  his  father  said  and  did.  When  his  father  gave 
him  a  command,  Absalom  looked  cross,  and  murmured  in- 
teriorly. When  his  father  was  out  of  sight,  Absalom 
would  laugh  at  him  and  ridicule  him.  How  do  we  call 
those  children  whose  faces  are  bright  and  pleasant  towards 
their  parents?  Friendly  children.  How  was  Absalom  to- 
wards his  father?     Unfriendly. 

Impertinent    and    stubborn.     When    his    father    admon- 


THE  SINS  OF  CHILDREN  311 

ished  him,  Absalom  acted  like  bad  children  towards  their 
parents.  They  say :  "  Shut  up ;  that  is  none  of  your  busi- 
ness ;  I  do  as  I  please ;  I  am  old  enough ;  I  do  not  need 
you."  Or  they  wish  their  parents  were  dead.  That  is 
impertinence.  It  is  sinful.  How  did  Absalom  probably 
behave  towards  his  father?  He  was  impertinent  towards 
him.  What  does  an  impertinent  child  deserve  from  his 
parents?  When  the  mother  wishes  to  punish  such  a  child, 
he  resists;  and  after  that,  stamping  his  foot,  he  says: 
"  No,  I  will  not  do  it ;  I  would  rather  be  killed  than  do 
it."     It  is  a  sin  to  be  stubborn  towards  one's  parents. 

Ez'il  language.  I  have  not  related  anything  to  you  about 
Absalom's  stubbornness  towards  his  father ;  but  what  is 
far  worse.  What  was  Absalom's  father?  What  did  Ab- 
salom wish  to  be?  Wrhat  should  then  become  of  his 
father?  He  should  be  dethroned  and  killed.  How  did 
Absalom  begin  to  execute  his  design?  He  went  among 
the  people,  saying :  "  My  father  does  not  care  for  you ; 
if  I  were  king,  I  would  care  better  for  you,  I  would  help 
you  all."  Thus  did  Absalom  speak  ill  of  his  father.  It 
is  a  sin  for  us  to  speak  ill  of  our  parents.  How  did 
Absalom  sin  against  his  father?  Absalom  spoke  ill  of  his 
father.  How  does  a  good  child  speak  to  others  about  his 
parents?  What  duty  did  Absalom  transgress  by  speaking 
ill  of  his  father?  He  did  not  honor  him.  And  what  effect 
did  his  talk  have  among  the  people?  It  made  them  lose 
their  respect  for  the  king. 

Disobedience.  Subjects  must  not  merely  respect  their 
sovereign.  They  owe  him  also  obedience.  But  Absalom 
wished  to  be  king.  Whom,  then,  should  the  people  obey? 
Whom  should  they  no  longer  obey?  Whom  did  Absalom 
no  longer  wish  to  obey?  And  he  often  disobeyed  him. 
And  bad  children  do  the  same.  They  disobey  their  parents. 
Other  children  require  to  be  commanded  several  times  be- 
fore they  obey  their  parents,  or  they  do  what  they  are 
commanded   very   carelessly.     These   children   do   not   ex- 


3i2  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT 

actly  disobey  their  parents;  but  what  do  they  do?  They 
obey  badly.  Whose  place  do  parents  hold  towards  their 
children?  Whose  place  does  the  sovereign  hold  towards 
his  subjects?  Whom  do  children  obey,  when  they  obey 
their  parents?  Whom  do  the  subjects  obey,  when  they 
obey  their  sovereign?  Whom  do  children  honor,  when 
they  honor  their  parents?  Whom  do  children  disobey, 
when  they  disobey  their  parents?  To  whom  do  children 
show  disrespect,  when  they  show  disrespect  to  their  parents  ? 
(The  same  questions  concerning  subjects.)  Therefore  it 
is  a  sin  for  children  to  be  disrespectful,  impertinent  and 
stubborn  towards  their  parents  and  to  obey  them  only 
partly  or  not  at  all.     (Apply  to  subjects.) 

To  grieve.  Absalom  succeeded  in  causing  very  many 
to  revolt  with  him  against  his  father,  King  David.  When 
Absalom  arrived  on  his  splendid  chariot,  the  people  as- 
sembled, waved  their  hands  and  hats  and  shouted :  "  Hur- 
rah for  Absalom."  People  looked  at  him  seated  in  his 
chariot  with  his  fine  head  of  hair  covering  his  shoulders 
and  breast,  bowing  to  all  around  him.  "  How  fine  he 
looks,"  some  said.  Others  remarked :  "  What  beautiful 
hair  he  has!"  "O  would  he  were  already  our  king!" 
And  Absalom  looked  so  friendly,  smiling  to  every  one,  so 
anxious  was  he  to  be  king.  At  last  the  people  were  so 
full  of  enthusiasm,  that  they  proclaimed  him  king.  But 
what  was  to  be  done  with  King  David,  Absalom's  father? 
He  was  to  be  captured  and  put  to  death.  Absalom's 
party,  well  armed,  marched  with  him  against  King  David  ; 
and  David  had  to  flee  from  his  son,  and  this  so  fast,  that 
he  was  barefoot.  How  must  David  have  then  felt  in  his 
heart?  Sad  and  grieved.  How  do  you  know  these  were 
his  feelings?  Because  he  wept.  All  with  him  saw  him 
weep;  and  they  all  wept  with  him.  Woe  to  those  children 
who  by  their  bad  conduct  cause  their  parents  to  weep  for 
grief  over  them ! 

Whose  place  do  parents  hold  towards  their  children? 


THE  SINS  OF  CHILDREN  313 

And  the  parents,  in  God's  stead,  supply  all  their  children's 
wants.  What  are  parents  on  this  account  towards  their 
children?  Their  greatest  benefactors.  How  do  we  feel 
towards  those  who  do  us  good?  What  should  have  been 
Absalom's  feelings  towards  his  father?  Our  father  and 
mother  should  be  what  is  dearest  to  us  on  earth.  Hence 
Absalom  should  have  given  joy  to  his  father.  But  what 
did  he  cause  his  father?  Grief.  Whom  do  we  grieve 
when  we  grieve  our  parents?  Therefore  it  is  a  sin  to 
grieve  our  parents;  a  sin  against  the  love  we  owe  them. 

Absalom's  punishment.  Absalom  was  severely  pun- 
ished for  this  by  God.  The  soldiers  of  David  fought 
against  the  big  army  of  Absalom.  Absalom  was  defeated. 
What  did  Absalom  do  to  escape  capture?  What  happened 
to  him  in  his  flight?  His  hair  got  caught  in  the  branch 
of  a  tree  and  he  was  caught  hanging  and  dangling  in  the 
air.  He  had  wished  to  dethrone  his  father,  and  to  sit 
high  on  his  throne.  And  he  was  lifted  high  up;  but  not 
on  a  throne,  but  like  on  a  scaffold,  for  he  there  suffered 
death.  How  did  it  happen?  That  was  a  frightful  death. 
Did  not  Absalom  deserve  it?  That  was  a  punishment 
from  God.  What  overtook  Absalom  for  not  honoring  his 
father?  The  punishment  of  God.  What  did  the  soldiers 
do  with  Absalom's  corpse?  How  do  we  bury  our  dead? 
And  what  do  we  put  over  their  graves?  That  is  an  honor 
for  the  dead.  How  was  Absalom's  grave  covered?  That 
was  a  disgrace  for  Absalom.  What  do  people  do  to  Ab- 
salom's grave  when  they  pass  by  it?  They  spit  on  it, 
and  throw  a  stone  on  it.  That  is  a  sign  of  contempt. 
What  happened  to  Absalom  in  this  life,  because  he  did 
not  honor  his  father?  Disgrace  before  men.  And  what 
must  have  happened  to  him  in  the  next  life  from  God 
Himself?  Everlasting  punishment  in  hell.  Such  is  the  lot 
of  bad  children.  Already  in  this  life  God  sends  them  all 
kinds  of  misfortune;  people  will  have  nothing  to  do  with 
them  and  ridicule  and  despise  them.     And  if  they  do  not 


3  H  FOURTH  COMMANDMENT 

amend,  they  at  last  become  reprobates  in  hell!  What  did 
God  say  concerning  them?  "Cursed  is  he  who  does  not 
honor  his  father  and  mother."  What  must  bad  children 
expect  in  this  life?  God's  punishment  and  disgrace  before 
men.     And  in  the  next  life?     Eternal  damnation. 

II.  Connection.  You  have  already  heard  of  a  bad  son, 
who  was  cursed  by  his  father.  Who  was  it?  Cham. 
Why  did  his  father  curse  him  ?  How  did  Cham  sin  against 
his  father?  Cham  had  mocked  his  father.  You  have 
also  learned  how  some  other  sons  grieved  their  father. 
Who  were  they?  The  brothers  of  Joseph.  How  did  they 
grieve  their  father?  How  great  was  their  father's  grief? 
But  see  now  their  punishment.  What  happened  to  them 
the  first  time  they  went  to  Joseph  in  Egypt?  Where  did 
Joseph  order  them  to  be  put?  And  what  happened  to 
Simeon?  Thus  God  punished  them  through  Joseph. 
What  did  Juda  offer  to  do  when,  at  their  second  journey 
into  Egypt,  Joseph  wished  to  keep  back  Benjamin?  Why? 
You  see  from  this  that  his  brothers  had  mended  their 
ways.  And  what  happened  after  this  to  Joseph's  brothers? 
And  why  did  everything  after  this  succeed  with  them,  al- 
though they  had  so  greatly  grieved  their  father?  But  why 
did  Absalom  meet  with  such  a  terrible  end  on  account  of 
his  father? 

III.  Summary.  Wicked  children  must  therefore  expect 
in  this  life  to  receive  punishment  from  God  and  disgrace 
from  men,  and  eternal  damnation  in  the  next.  Children 
sin  against  their  parents,  i,  by  unfriendliness  and  imper- 
tinence; 2,  by  grieving  their  parents;  3,  by  obeying  them 
badly,  and  by  disobedience. 

IV.  Application,  i.  Let  us  enumerate  all  the  sins 
Absalom  committed  against  his  father.  How  did  Absalom 
speak  to  the  people  against  his  father?  How  should  he 
confess  that  sin?  "I  spoke  ill  of  my  father."  How 
grieved  in  heart  was  David  when  he  had  to  flee  barefooted 
from   Absalom?     How   did   Absalom   sin   thereby   against 


THE  SINS  OF  CHILDREN  315 

his  father ?  How  should  he  confess  this  sin ?  "I  have 
greatly  grieved  my  father."  How  did  Absalom  sin  against 
his  father  by  disobedience?  How  should  he  tell  this  sin? 
"  I  have  disobeyed  my  father."  How  must  he  tell  all  the 
sins  he  committed  against  his  father? 

2.  How  did  Cham  sin  against  his  father?  He  mocked 
him.  How  did  his  father  feel,  when  he  was  told  of  it? 
How  should  Cham  tell  his  sin?  "I  mocked  my  father." 
How  should  Joseph's  brothers  tell  the  sins  they  committed 
against  their  father  ?  "  We  have  greatly  grieved  our 
father." 

3.  Fred  easily  gets  angry.  His  mother  said :  '  Fred, 
get  me  some  wood."  Fred  replied :  "  I  will  do  so,  when 
I  feel  like  it."  His  mother  duly  punished  him  for  this. 
But  Fred  got  red  in  his  face,  made  a  fist,  stamped  the 
floor  with  his  foot,  and  said :  "  No,  I  will  not  do  it  now." 
How  did  Fred  sin  against  his  mother?  By  disobeying  her. 
How  else?  He  was  impertinent  and  stubborn.  How  must 
he  confess  these  sins?  "I  disobeyed  my  mother.  I  was 
impertinent  and  stubborn  towards  her." 

Rose's  mother  is  sick.  She  tells  Rose :  "  Child,  make 
the  fire."  But  Rose  acts  as  if  she  had  not  heard  her 
mother.  Her  mother  tells  her  again.  Rose  answers: 
"Immediately;"  and  she  plays  with  the  cat.  Now  her 
mother  begins  to  scold  her.  Rose  at  last  obeys.  But  how 
did  she  obey  her  mother?  How  should  she  confess  her 
sin.  "  I  did  not  obey  my  mother  properly."  The  church 
bell  rings  for  Mass.  Bertha's  mother  tells  her :  "  Go  to 
church  to  hear  Mass."  But  Bertha  remains  wandering 
about  outside  of  the  house.  Another  time  her  mother 
said :  "  Bertha,  study  your  lesson."  Bertha  replies : 
"  There  is  plenty  of  time  yet  for  that."  How  did  Bertha 
sin  against  her  mother?  She  was  disobedient  to  her. 
How  should  she  confess  her  faults?  "I  disobeyed  my 
mother  twice." 

Johnny  was  lazy  and  ill-mannered  towards  his  mother. 


3i6  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT 

When  his  father  came  home,  he  did  not  spare  the  rod, 
and  Johnny  had  besides  to  go  to  bed  without  his  supper. 
When  leaving  the  room  Johnny  curses  his  father  and 
wishes  he  were  dead.  How  did  Johnny  sin  against  his 
father ?  How  must  he  confess  his  sins ?  "I  cursed  my 
father ;  I  wished  for  his  death." 

Do  you  always  respect  your  parents?  Are  you  never 
unfriendly  towards  them,  and  do  you  not  murmur  against 
them?  Have  you  never  caused  your  mother  to  weep  on 
account  of  your  disobedience?  Do  you  obey  your  parents 
promptly?  How  beautiful  would  it  be,  if  your  mother 
could  thus  pray  to  God :  "  O  my  God,  I  thank  Thee  for 
having  given  me  so  good  a  child;  he  has  always  loved 
me,  and  never  grieved  me." 

How  to  confess  sins  against  the  fourth  commandment. 
I.  I  was  impertinent  and  stubborn  towards  my  parents  and 
superiors.  2.  I  grieved  them  by  my  bad  conduct.  3.  I 
obeyed  badly ;  or,  I  disobeyed  them. 

FIFTH  COMMANDMENT. 

A. 

12.  Sins  against  the  Life  of  the  Body. 

I.  Preparation.  Who  is  our  neighbor?  Every  man. 
Your  relatives,  all  your  schoolmates,  all  the  people  dwell- 
ing in  this  place,  in  this  country,  all  mankind  are  our 
neighbor.  Why  are  they  all  our  neighbor?  Because  all 
men  are  children  of  one  Father  in  heaven.  They  were 
all  created  by  God  the  Father,  redeemed  by  God  the  Son 
and  sanctified  by  God  the  Holy  Ghost.  God  loves  all 
men.  And  what  does  God  will  us  to  do  to  all  men? 
Therefore  He  commanded  us :  "  Thou  shalt  love  thy 
neighbor  as  thyself."  (Whom  do  we  love,  when  we  love 
our  neighbor?)  How  do  we  show  that  we  love  our 
neighbor?     Do  we  really  love  him,  if  we  do  him  any  harm? 


SINS  AGAINST  LIFE  OF  THE  BODY      317 

No.  Dear  children,  God  has  told  us  in  the  fifth  and  the 
following  commandments  what  we  must  avoid  in  order  not 
to  injure  or  harm  our  neighbor. 

Object.  I  will  show  you  to-day  that  we  must  not  injure 
our  neighbor  in  his  body. 

II.  Development  —  Envy.  You  remember  the  history 
of  Joseph  of  Egypt.  Who  was  Joseph's  father?  How 
many  sons  had  Jacob?  Which  son  did  Jacob  love  most? 
Why  did  he  love  Joseph  more  than  his  other  sons  ?  Joseph 
was  a  good,  pious  son.  How  did  Jacob  show  that  he 
loved  Joseph  more  than  his  other  sons?  He  gave  Joseph 
a  fine  coat  of  many  colors,  made  from  costly  material. 
It  resembled  the  coats  worn  by  the  sons  of  kings.  Whom 
did  Joseph  resemble  with  this  coat?  The  coats  of  Joseph's 
brothers  were  not  so  beautiful,  nor  so  costly.  Jacob  loved 
his  other  sons  also.  But  why  did  they  not  get  so  fine  a 
coat  as  Joseph?  Joseph  must  have  been  very  much  pleased 
with  his  coat.  But  who  were  not  pleased  on  account  of 
it  ?  They  thought :  "  Joseph  is  no  better  than  we  are ;  if 
we  cannot  get  such  fine  coats,  Joseph  does  not  need  or 
deserve  any  either."  They  envied  him  his  fine  coat.  He 
who  is  jealous  of  what  another  has  and  cannot  bear  to 
see  him  have  it,  is  envious,  is  guilty  of  envy.  What  were 
Joseph's  brothers  on  account  of  his  coat?  They  were 
envious  of  Joseph.  Envy  was  deep-seated  in  their  hearts. 
It  burned  therein  like  a  little  furnace.  Their  envy  was 
not  so  very  dangerous,  but  it  was  evil,  it  was  a  venial 
sin.  But  was  it  not  foolish  for  them  to  be  envious  of 
Joseph?  Was  it  not  their  fault,  if  their  father  did  not 
love  them  as  much  as  Joseph  ?  They  should  have  resolved : 
"  Let  us  be  as  good  and  as  pious  as  Joseph,  and  father 
will  love  us  as  much  as  Joseph."  That  would  have  put 
the  fire  of  envy  out  of  their  hearts,  and  their  hearts  would 
have  become  pure,  and  God  would  have  been  pleased  with 
them.  But  they  made  no  such  resolution,  and  the  fire 
of  envy  burned  fiercer  in  their  hearts. 


3i8  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT 

Hatred.  Once  whilst  watching  their  flocks  they  did  a 
very  wicked  thing;  but  Joseph  did  not  join  in.  This  irri- 
tated them.  But  matters  grew  worse.  Joseph  told  his 
father  what  his  brothers  had  done.  He  did  not  do  this 
because  he  liked  to  see  them  punished,  but  because  he 
wished  them  to  amend,  to  do  better.  He  wished  them  no 
harm.  But  his  brothers  did  not  amend.  They  got  very 
mad  against  Joseph.  They  would  no  longer  go  with  him, 
or  hear  anything  about  him,  or  even  speak  to  him.  And 
whenever  they  said  anything  to  him,  they  showed  thereby 
that  they  were  very  mad  with  him.  How?  Because  they 
never  said  anything  kind  to  him.  You  see  now  that  the 
evil  fire  had  grown  fiercer  in  their  hearts ;  it  was  no  longer 
mere  envy,  but  downright  hatred.  They  knew  very  well 
how  sinful  it  was  for  them  to  envy  and  hate  their  brother. 
But  they  did  not  care.  If  when  you  came  home  and  would 
find  your  house  beginning  to  burn,  you  would  be  fright- 
ened. And  what  would  you  do  at  once?  If  you  wait 
until  the  fire  has  grown  large  and  has  spread,  you  cannot 
put  it  out,  and  the  whole  house  will  burn  down.  What 
should  Joseph's  brothers  have  done  with  the  fire  of  envy 
and  hatred  in  their  hearts  against  their  brother?  They 
should  have  put  it  out.     But  they  did  not  do  so. 

Insult  and  mockery.  The  fire  in  the  hearts  of  Joseph's 
brothers  continued  to  burn  and  spread.  This  was  occa- 
sioned by  the  dreams  of  Joseph.  What  were  his  dreams? 
He  related  his  dreams  to  them.  Where  were  they  with 
him?  And  what  were  all  doing  together?  They  were 
gathering  and  putting  up  their  sheaves.  What  was  re- 
markable with  Joseph's  sheaf?  It  stood  erect.  And  what 
happened  to  his  brothers'  sheaves?  They  were  all  bowing 
to  that  of  Joseph.  Come  here,  James,  and  make  a  bow. 
Thus  it  is  customary  to  bow  before  people  in  high  posi- 
tions ;  also  for  servants  before  their  masters.  If  the  presi- 
dent were  to  enter  now,  we  should  all  stand  up  and  bow 
to  him  as  a  mark  of  respect  for  his  high  office.     When 


SINS  AGAINST  LIFE  OF  THE  BODY      319 

•Joseph  related  his  dream,  his  brothers  judged  that  he 
meant  to  be  their  sovereign,  or  their  master,  and  consid- 
ered them  as  only  his  servants.  What  effect  had  this 
dream  on  his  brothers?  It  only  increased  their  envy  and 
hatred  of  him.  Henceforth  they  called  him  only,  the 
dreamer.  "  The  dreamer  said  so  and  so,  the  dreamer  wills 
so  and  so,  the  dreamer  did  so  and  so."  Do  you  remember 
one  occasion  when  they  so  expressed  themselves?  When 
his  father  sent  him  to  Sichem.  What  did  they  say,  when 
they  saw  him  coming?  They  also  probably  called  him, 
"  Father's  pet,"  out  of  derision  and  mockery.  Insult  and 
mockery  are  sharp  painful  thorns  stuck  into  persons  one 
does  not  like.  Children  thus  treated  begin  to  weep.  It 
is,  therefore,  sinful  to  insult  and  mock  any  one.  There- 
fore Joseph's  brothers  sinned  against  Joseph. 

You  see  how  the  fire  in  the  hearts  of  Joseph's  brothers 
grew  worse  and  worse.  Envy,  hatred,  insult  and  mockery 
spread  on  every  side  into  great  flames.  It  is  no  longer  a 
little  envy;  it  is  a  great  envy.  It  is  no  longer  a  dislike, 
but  a  real  hatred.  It  is  no  longer  a  little  fun,  but  a  serious 
insult.  The  whole  day  is  turned  into  a  constant  quarrel 
and  enmity  against  their  brother.  Joseph  may  do  what 
he  will,  he  can  no  longer  please  his  brothers.  And  oh, 
where  will  all  that  lead  to?  You  know  how  far  it  led 
Cain.  God  warned  Cain.  God  surely  often  warned  Jo- 
seph's brothers  in  their  hearts.  What  did  God  say  to  Cain  ? 
"  Why  art  thou  angry,  etc.  Repress  and  rule  thy  evil  in- 
clinations." How  must  not  God  have  spoken  to  Joseph's 
brothers  ?  Just  as  if  He  said  to  them :  "  Put  out  of  your 
hearts  that  evil  fire  of  envy  and  hatred.  Crush  it  out." 
But  how  could  they  do  that?  When  a  horse  is  at  full 
gallop,  and  there  is  a  precipice  ahead,  it  would  seem  that 
nothing  could  save  him  and  his  rider;  but  the  rider  has 
only  to  draw  in  the  reins,  and  the  horse  stops  at  once! 
Alan's  will  is  strong.  When  he  wills  a  thing  earnestly, 
he  can  do  much;  when  he  wills  earnestly  to  crush  out  evil 


320  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT 

feelings  or  thoughts,  he  can  do  it,  for  God  will  help  him. 
Hence  Cain  and  Joseph's  brothers  could  have  crushed  and 
put  out  of  their  hearts  the  evil  fire  of  envy  and  hatred. 
And  they  would  have  been  happy.  But  neither  Cain  nor 
Joseph's  brothers  had  the  earnest  will  to  do  so.  The  envy 
and  hatred  in  their  hearts  grew  stronger  and  stronger. 
Already  his  brothers  said  to  one  another :  "  Would  that 
we  should  never  more  see  Joseph!  Would  that  he  were 
not  here  any  more !  If  only  something  would  happen 
to  him !  "  At  last  the  thought  came  to  them :  "  Let  us 
get  rid  of  him !  "  So  you  see  how  high  rose  the  flames 
of  their  hatred.     They  will  soon  break  out  from  every  side. 

Anger.  His  brothers  see  him  coming  from  a  distance. 
He  was  sent  to  them  by  his  father.  They  cry  out  to  one 
another :  "  Look,  there  comes  the  dreamer !  The  dreamer 
is  coming !  "  And  that  evil  fire  now  breaks  out  in  their 
eyes,  in  their  faces,  in  their  tongues  and  takes  possession 
of  all  their  members.  Their  faces  are  as  red  as  fire,  their 
eyes  are  fiery,  their  fists  are  clenched,  and  their  bodies 
tremble  with  rage.  What  is  their  feeling  against  Joseph? 
A  feeling  of  unrestrained  anger.  What  does  their  anger 
prompt  them  to  say? 

Striking.  When  Joseph  arrived,  they  fell  upon  him, 
struck  him  and  threw  him  down,  saying:  "We  have 
caught  you  at  last,  you  dreamer,  you  tell-tale.  We  are 
going  to  drive  all  dreams  out  of  you !  Take  off  that  coat 
quick."  They  pulled  off  his  coat,  which  had  so  often  ex- 
cited their  envy.  They  strike  and  beat  him,  causing  him 
great  pain.  To  strike  and  ill-treat  any  one  in  that  way 
is  sinful.  Hence  Joseph's  brothers  sinned  by  injuring  the 
body  of  their  brother. 

Wounding.  He  who  is  very  angry  does  not  care  how 
he  strikes  and  beats  the  one  he  does  not  like,  nor  how 
great  an  injury  he  does  him,  nor  if  he  makes  him  bleed 
or  wounds  him  seriously.  When  you  wound  a  person  you 
commit  a  greater  sin  than  if  you  merely  strike  him.     He 


SINS  AGAINST  LIFE  OF  THE  BODY      321 

who  wounds  his  neighbor  commits  a  sin  against  his  neigh- 
bor's life. 

Thoughts  of  murder.  Where  did  they  put  Joseph  after 
pulling  off  his  coat  and  ill-treating  him?  Into  a  pit. 
What  did  they  then  do?  Joseph  had  walked  a  very  long 
distance,  and  he  was  very  hungry.  But  his  brothers  gave 
him  nothing  to  eat.  You  may  imagine  why.  They  would 
have  either  killed  him  or  left  him  to  die  of  hunger  in  the 
pit.  What  do  we  call  a  man  who  takes  away  the  life  of 
another?  A  murderer.  What  did  Joseph's  brothers  in- 
tend to  be?  Murderers.  They  intended  to  murder  their 
own  brother !  What  a  great  crime !  So  far  had  their 
wickedness  gone!  How  did  they  first  feel  against  Joseph? 
They  envied  him,  because  their  father  loved  him  more 
than  them.  Their  envy  was  followed  by  hatred,  hatred  by 
anger,  and  anger  by  designs  of  murder.  At  first  there 
was  in  their  hearts  a  few  sparks  of  the  fire  of  envy;  then 
hatred  blew  them  into  a  flame,  and  anger  spread  it  on  all 
sides,  and  caused  it  to  break  out.  But  they  did  not  ac- 
tually murder  him.  Which  of  the  brothers  kept  them 
from  murdering  him?  What  advice  did  he  give  them 
when  the  merchants  were  passing  by?  To  sell  their  brother. 
Why?  That  their  hands  should  not  be  stained  with  their 
brother's  blood.  What  did  they  do  with  Joseph?  Sold 
him  as  a  slave. 

Murder.  But  you  know  some  one  who  actually  mur- 
dered his  brother.  Who  is  it?  What  did  Cain  become? 
The  murderer  of  his  brother.  God  says  in  the  fifth  com- 
mandment :  "  Thou  shalt  not  kill."  Cain  sinned  against 
this  commandment.  It  was  a  grievous,  horrible  sin.  He 
who  robs  a  man  of  his  life,  robs  him  of  all  he  has.  A 
man  who  is  no  longer  alive,  has  no  use  for  all  that  belonged 
to  him.  Only  He  has  the  right  to  take  a  man's  life,  who 
has  given  it  to  him.  Who  gives  life  to  every  man?  Life 
is  like  a  spark  from  God  Himself.  Who  has,  then,  the 
right  to  take  a  man's  life?     God.     Therefore  the  blood  of 


322  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT 

a  murdered  person  has  a  voice,  and  every  drop  of  his  blood 
has  a  tongue,  crying  heavenward :  "  Punish  my  murderer ! 
Punish  my  murderer !  "  And  God  hears  the  voice  of  the 
blood  that  has  been  shed.  How  did  He  punish  Cain  for 
murdering  his  brother?  This  shows  you  what  a  horrible 
sin  it  is  to  commit  murder. 

Suicide.  In  like  manner,  he  who  kills  himself,  com- 
mits also  a  terrible  sin.  Which  one  of  the  apostles  com- 
mitted it?  When  Judas  found  out  that  Jesus  was  con- 
demned to  death,  he  was  exceedingly  sorry.  His  crime 
seemed  so  dreadful  that  he  thought  he  could  no  longer 
live.  Therefore  he  killed  himself,  committed  suicide. 
How?  By  his  suicide  Judas  precipitated  his  soul  into  hell. 
And  after  the  last  judgment  where  shall  his  body  also  be? 
A  man  cannot  commit  a  greater  sin  than  this  against  his 
body.  Cain  sinned  against  his  body  in  some  other  way. 
What  effect  had  his  envy  and  hatred  on  his  body?  His 
face  looked  frightfully  haggard  and  pale  and  his  body  ex- 
ceedingly lean. 

Endangered  by  levity.  Children  also  are  apt  to  sin  in 
various  ways  against  their  own  life ;  for  instance,  climbing 
trees,  etc.,  swimming  in  deep,  dangerous  places,  playing 
with  fire-arms,  trying  to  show  their  skill,  their  courage, 
etc.  How  many  children  are  daily  seriously  hurt,  and  even 
killed  by  rashly  exposing  themselves  to  great  dangers !  All 
this  is  sinful ;  it  is  a  sin  against  the  fifth  commandment. 

III.  Connection.  God  did  not  forbid  in  the  fifth  com- 
mandment only  the  sins  against  our  own  life,  but  also  the 
sins  against  the  life  of  our  neighbor.  How  did  Joseph's 
brothers  first  sin  against  their  brother's  life?  You  have 
heard  also  of  some  one  else  who  was  envious  of  his 
brother.  That  was  Cain.  Who  was  envious  of  the  hap- 
piness of  our  first  parents?  Who  were  envious  of  Jesus? 
What  sin  was  caused  by  Cain's  envy?  By  the  envy  of 
Joseph's  brothers?     By  the  envy  of  the  Jews  against  Jesus? 

What  name  did  Joseph's  brothers  give  him?     When  did 


SINS  AGAINST  LIFE  OF  THE  BODY     323 

the  Jews  mock  our  divine  Saviour?  What  other  sin  did 
Joseph's  brothers  commit  against  him,  when  they  pulled 
off  his  coat?  They  pushed  him  about  and  beat  him.  When 
did  the  Jews  strike  our  Saviour?  With  what?  With  what 
was  the  body  of  Jesus  covered  by  the  scourging?  What 
was  done  to  our  Saviour's  head  by  the  crown  of  thorns? 
When  did  the  executioners  inflict  the  largest  wounds  on 
Jesus?  How  many  large  wounds  did  Jesus  receive  when 
He  was  nailed  to  the  cross?  Therefore  Jesus  was  put 
to  death  on  the  cross.  Who  were  crucified  with  Jesus? 
Wrhat  crimes  had  they  committed?  What  had  Jesus  done? 
The  two  thieves  had  therefore  deserved  death.  Wrho  had 
not  deserved  death?  WTho  were  justly  put  to  death?  Who 
was  unjustly  put  to  death?  Of  whose  death  were  the 
Jews  guilty?  What  kind  of  sin  would  the  death  of  Joseph 
by  his  brothers  have  been?  What  children  were  mur- 
dered? Who  was  murdered  by  his  brother?  Whom  did 
the  murderers  of  all  these  injure?  Their  neighbor.  How? 
They  sinned  against  the  body  of  their  neighbor.  Whom 
else  did  Cain  injure  besides  Abel?  Himself.  Who  in- 
jured his  own  life?  All  these  sinned  against  the  fifth 
commandment. 

IV.  Summary.  What  does  God  forbid  by  the  fifth  com- 
mandment ?  All  sins  against  our  neighbor's  life  and  against 
our  own  life.  Against  their  neighbor's  life  all  who  unjustly 
kill,  wound  or  strike  their  neighbor.  i\gainst  one's  own 
life,  whoever  kills  himself  or  rashly  exposes  his  life  to 
danger. 

V.  Application,  i.  Suppose  the  brothers  of  Joseph 
would  confess  their  sins  against  him;  how  did  they  sin 
at  home  against  him?  By  envy  and  hatred.  How  at 
Sichem?  Insult,  anger,  pushed  and  beat  him,  wished  to 
kill  him,  sold  him.  "  We  have  envied  and  hated  our 
brother,  insulted,  pushed  and  struck  him;  wished  first  to 
kill  him,  and  then  to  let  him  starve;  and  finally  we  sold 
him."     Enumerate  the  sins  of  the  Jews  against  our  divine 


324  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT 

Saviour.  They  envied  Him,  hated  Him,  mocked  Him, 
struck  Him,  wounded  and  killed  Him.  How  should  Cain 
tell  his  sins  against  his  brother?  "I  was  angry  with  my 
brother,  and  I  beat  him  to  death."  How  should  he  tell  his 
sin  against  his  own  life?  "I  injured  my  life  (health)  by 
my  envy." 

2.  Philip  and  Antony  in  playing  bumped  their  heads  to- 
gether, and  Philip  besides  stepped  on  Antony's  foot,  but 
not  on  purpose.  But  Antony  got  mad  and  began  to  abuse 
Philip  with  harsh  names.  Philip  cried  out:  "If  you  do 
not  stop,  I  will  tell  father."  Now  Antony  got  fearfully 
mad,  knocked  Philip  down  and  beat  him  till  his  strength 
gave  way.  How  must  Antony  tell  his  sins?  "  I  had  a 
quarrel  with  my  companion,  I  called  him  harsh  names  and 
badly  beat  him."  Fred  told  the  teacher  that  Frank  had 
struck  him.  The  teacher  punished  Frank  for  it.  But 
Frank  got  mad  against  Fred,  and  said :  "  Wait,  and  I'll 
give  you  something  to  think  about ;  you  shall  never  again 
tell  on  me."  Afterwards,  when  he  sees  Fred,  he  thinks: 
"  If  I  could  only  kill  him."  So  he  picks  up  a  stone,  throws 
it  at  Fred,  hits  him  in  the  head  and  makes  in  it  a  large 
bleeding  gash.  How  should  he  tell  his  sins?  "I  struck 
my  schoolmate;  I  was  long  mad  with  him;  I  said:  If 
I  could  only  kill  him.  Then  I  hit  him  in  the  head  with 
a  stone  and  made  a  large  bleeding  gash  in  it." 

3.  Dear  children,  the  first  sin  on  earth  was  the  envy  of 
the  devil.  Cain's  first  sin  against  Abel  was  envy.  Envy 
wras  also  the  first  sin  of  Joseph's  brothers  against  him. 
How  unhappy  did  envy  make  our  first  parents !  Through 
the  devil's  envy  sin  came  into  the  world,  and  through  sin 
death.  How  unhappy  Cain  made  himself  by  his  envy ! 
How  much  evil  was  caused  by  the  envy  of  Joseph's 
brothers !  Therefore,  dear  children,  take  care  not  to  be- 
come envious  of  others.  When  one  of  your  sisters  gets 
a  finer  dress  than  you,  and  envy  endeavors  to  enter  your 
heart,    say:     "I    will    not    be    envious.     Sweet    Heart    of 


SEDUCTION  325 

Mary,  be  my  salvation."  And  at  once  reject  every  envious 
thought.  Thus  you  will  suppress  envy.  If  your  big 
brother  gets  a  larger  slice  of  bread  (piece  of  cake)  than 
you,  little  one,  the  fire  of  envy  at  once  tries  to  be  enkindled 
in  your  heart.  At  once  throw  it  out.  Rather  say: 
"  Sweet  Heart  of  Jesus,  grant  that  I  may  ever  love  Thee 
more  and  more.*'  Your  schoolmate  is  praised  either  for 
knowing  more  or  for  being  more  diligent  than  you.  Envy 
threatens  to  force  an  entrance  into  your  heart;  at  once 
do  all  you  can  to  keep  it  out,  otherwise  the  same  will  hap- 
pen to  you  as  to  Joseph's  brothers.  Hatred  and  anger  will 
take  possession  of  your  heart,  and  impel  you  to  call  harsh 
and  insulting  names,  and  then  to  quarrel,  to  ill-treat  and 
strike  your  neighbor.  Resolve  to-day :  "  I  will  never  hurt 
my  neighbor  in  his  body;  I  will  never  call  any  one  harsh 
or  insulting  names."  If  you  have  hurt  or  pained  any  one, 
show  yourself  afterwards  very  friendly  to  him,  assist  him 
whenever  you  can,  and  thus  atone  for  your  fault. 

4.  And  now,  dear  children,  one  thing  more:  Be  not 
cruel  towards  animals,  towards  living  beings.  Children 
usually  take  delight  in  killing  or  tormenting  what  they  see. 
It  is  fun  for  them,  but  torture  and  pain  for  the  animals. 
Let  these  enjoy  the  short  life  God  has  given  them.  He 
who  torments  or  kills  such  beings,  shows  that  his  heart  is 
cruel  and  devoid  of  feeling  for  others ;  such  a  one  delights 
also  in  seeing  his  companions  punished  or  in  suffering. 

B. 
13.  Seduction,  or  leading  astray. 

I.  Preparation.  What  sin  stains  the  soul  of  a  child 
from  its  very  birth?  Original  sin.  His  soul  is  dead  (spir- 
itually). Suppose  a  child  dies  in  original  sin.  Where  is 
it  that  that  child's  soul  cannot  go?  How  is  original  sin 
removed  from  the  souls  of  children?  By  baptism.  In 
baptism  the  Holy  Ghost  enters  the  soul  of  the  child,  and 


326  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT 

gives  it  spiritual  life.  And  so  long  as  the  Holy  Ghost  re- 
mains in  that  soul,  it  remains  spiritually  alive.  Suppose 
that  child  later  on  commits  a  mortal  sin.  Who  then  enters 
its  soul?  The  devil.  Who  leaves  that  soul?  The  Holy 
Ghost.  How  is  the  soul  after  the  Holy  Ghost  leaves  it? 
That  soul  can  now  no  longer  do  anything  to  gain  heaven. 
Where  would  that  soul  go,  if  the  child  would  die?  What 
life  it  would  not  obtain  in  heaven?  Where  does  the  soul 
go  that  is  in  mortal  sin?  You  see  now  what  injury  a 
person  does  to  the  life  of  his  soul  by  a  mortal  sin.  In 
like  manner,  we  can  do  the  same  injury  to  the  soul  of  our 
neighbor.  Last  time  you  heard  how  injury  is  done  to  an- 
other's life. 

Object.  To-day  you  shall  learn  how  the  life  of  another's 
soul  can  be  injured. 

II.  Development — The  devil  seduces  our  first  parents. 
How  did  our  first  parents  live  in  the  beginning?  How 
were  they  in  the  earthly  paradise?  What  did  God  forbid 
them?  What  punishment  did  God  threaten  them  with,  if 
they  would  transgress  His  commandment?  What  did  He 
promise  them,  if  they  would  observe  it?  For  a  time  our 
first  parents  obeyed  God,  and  they  were  happy.  But  who 
envied  their  happiness?  Therefore  he  sought  to  ruin  their 
happiness.  In  which  animal  did  the  devil  conceal  himself  ? 
Where  was  the  serpent  ?  Who  came  one  day  near  the  for- 
bidden tree?  Eve  stopped  in  front  of  it  and  saw  the  ser- 
pent on  it.  The  devil  did  not  at  first  show  what  he  intended, 
but  showed  himself  very  friendly  to  her.  What  did  he 
ask  Eve  ?  He  meant  by  this :  "  Is  it  true  that  God  said 
that  to  you?  I  can  hardly  believe  that  God  forbade  you 
to  eat  of  this  fine  fruit."  Eve  could  have  remarked  from 
these  words  that  an  evil  spirit  was  speaking  through  the 
serpent,  for  an  angel  would  not  have  spoken  in  that  way. 
Angels  are  always  pleased  with  what  God  wills.  Eve 
should,  therefore,  have  gone  away  at  once.  But  what  did 
she  do?     And  what  answer  did  she  give  to  the  serpent? 


SEDUCTION  327 

It  was  as  if  she  had  said :  "  Yes,  so  it  is."  Now  the 
devil  became  still  more  friendly  towards  her.  What  did 
he  say  to  her?  "You  shall  not  die."  He  meant  by  this: 
"  It  is  not  true  that  you  shall  die.  God  is  only  frightening 
you,  to  keep  you  from  eating  of  that  fruit,  for  He  does 
not  wish  you  to  be  happy."  What  else  did  the  devil  say? 
"  If  you  eat  of  this  fruit,  your  eyes  shall  be  opened,  and 
you  shall  be  like  God ;  but  God  does  not  wish  that,  and 
therefore  He  said:  You  shall  not  eat  of  the  fruit  of  this 
tree."  The  nice  words  of  the  serpent  already  pleased  Eve 
more  than  the  commandment  of  God.  Wrhat  did  she  now 
examine  more  closely?  And  what  did  she  see  about  the 
fruit?  What  happens  to  many  children  happened  to  her 
also.  When  you  pass  a  confectionery  or  a  fruit  store  and 
look  at  the  cakes,  at  the  delicious  fruit,  your  mouth  waters, 
and  you  would  like  to  eat  some ;  you  long  for  some.  The 
same  happened  to  Eve.  Looking  at  the  fruit,  she  longed 
for  some ;  and  the  longer  she  looked,  the  more  she  longed 
to  eat  some.  And  the  nearer  she  came  to  the  tree,  the 
finer  the  fruit  seemed  to  her,  and  her  longing  grew  stronger 
and  stronger.  She  put  out  her  hand,  and  what  did  she  do? 
To  whom  did  she  give  some?  and  what  did  Adam  do? 

How  the  seducer  acts.  Who  had  resolved  to  induce  our 
first  parents  to  eat  of  the  forbidden  fruit?  Let  us  ex- 
amine how  he  went  to  work.  How  did  he  induce  Eve  to 
stop  before  the  forbidden  tree?  How  did  he  call  Eve's 
attention  to  himself?  In  answer  to  his  question  Eve  told 
him  what  punishment  God  had  threatened,  if  they  would 
eat  of  the  forbidden  fruit.  How  did  he  succeed  in  re- 
moving Eve's  fear  of  the  threatened  punishment?  The 
devil  had  won  half  of  the  victory.  And  he  no  longer  asked 
her  any  questions.  How  did  he  excite  in  Eve  a  longing 
for  the  forbidden  fruit?  How  did  Eve's  longing  grow 
stronger?  What  finally  happened?  Eve  yielded  to  the 
temptor  and  ate  of  the  forbidden  fruit,  and  gave  some  to 
Adam.     Whose  commandment  did  our  first  parents  trans- 


328  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT 

gress?     What  did  they  commit  by  so  doing?     Who  induced 
them  to  do  so?     The  devil  seduced  our  first  parents. 

The  devil  is  a  murderer  of  souls.  How  he  rejoiced  in 
making  our  first  parents  unhappy!  Now  their  souls  be- 
longed to  him,  and  he  went  into  them.  Who  was  expelled 
from  their  souls?  In  what  state  were  their  souls  after 
the  Holy  Ghost  had  left  them?  What  do  we  call  him  who 
kills  a  man's  body?  Murderer.  He  who  kills  another's 
soul  is  also  a  murderer.  Who  killed  the  soul  of  Eve? 
What,  then,  is  the  devil?  The  devil  is  a  murderer  of  souls 
from  the  beginning.  The  devil  does  all  he  can  to  murder 
souls.  "  He  goes  around  like  a  roaring  lion,  seeking  whom 
he  may  devour." 

Every  seducer  is  an  accomplice  of  the  devil.  Who  se- 
duced Adam  to  sin?  Eve.  Whose  accomplice  (helper) 
was  Eve,  when  she  seduced  Adam  to  sin?  She  was  the 
devil's  accomplice,  and  so  is  every  one  who  leads  others 
into  sin.  The  devil  has  many  accomplices  in  the  world. 
Fred  goes  every  Sunday  to  Mass.  But  Frank  says  to  him : 
"  Steal  a  dollar  from  your  mother,  and  we  shall  not  go  to 
church  to-day ;  but  we  can  buy  cakes  and  candy  and  go  to 
the  park,  etc.,  and  have  a  fine  time."  They  carried  out  that 
plan.  What  did  Fred  steal  at  home?  Where  did  they 
go  during  the  Mass?  WThat  did  he  commit  thereby? 
And  who  induced  him  to  commit  those  sins?  The  devil 
led  our  first  parents  into  sin.  And  what  did  Frank  do? 
Into  what  sins  did  he  lead  Fred? 

Every  seducer  to  mortal  sin  is  a  murderer  of  his  neigh- 
bor's soul.  Wrhat  happens  to  a  soul  that  is  seduced  to 
commit  mortal  sin?  How  frightful  it  is  for  a  man  to 
plunge  a  dagger  into  his  neighbor's  heart  and  thus  kill 
him!  It  is  equally  dreadful  to  murder  the  soul  of  our 
neighbor.  What  kind  of  murderer  was  Frank?  Whose 
accomplice  was  he  ?  Consider  the  value  of  a  soul.  Whose 
image  is  it?  How  did  our  Saviour  redeem  it?  There 
hangs  to  each  soul  a  drop  of  Christ's  infinitely  precious 


SEDUCTION  329 

blood.  Oh,  how  excruciating  sufferings  had  our  dear  Sav- 
iour to  undergo,  in  order  to  redeem  our  souls !  Do  you 
know  what  it  is  to  be  a  seducer  and  murderer  of  souls? 
What  a  terrible  judgment  will  such  a  seducer  undergo! 
Our  divine  Saviour  will  say  to  him  at  the  general  judgment: 
"  Depart  from  Me,  accursed  seducer,  into  everlasting  fire." 
The  seducer  murders  souls,  which  cost  so  much  to  our 
Saviour  to  redeem.  He  who  leads  others  into  sin,  is  a 
devil. 

III.  Connection.  Who  seduced  Eve  into  sin?  Who 
tried  to  lead  Joseph  of  Egypt  into  sin?  What  did  Joseph 
do?  What  should  Eve  have  also  done?  What  would,  then, 
not  have  happened?  Eve  was  also  guilty  in  being  seduced 
into  sin.  Whom  did  Eve  seduce  into  sin?  What  should 
Adam  also  have  done?  Whom  would  Eve  not  have  se- 
duced, if  she  had  not  first  been  seduced  by  the  devil? 
Who  is  the  cause  of  the  sin  of  both  Eve  and  Adam? 
Whom  did  Cham  intend  to  lead  into  sin?  To  commit  what 
sin?  Whom  did  Absalom  seduce?  To  commit  what  sin? 
Which  of  all  these  persons  remained  faithful,  when  others 
tried  to  lead  them  into  sin?  Who  were  those  that  yielded 
to  seduction  (fell  into  sin)  ?  Whom  should  you  imitate 
when  some  one  tries  to  seduce  you?  What  would  your 
soul  be,  if  you  allowed  yourself  to  be  led  into  a  grievous 
sin?  How  is  he  called  who  kills  the  body?  How  is  he 
called  who  seduces  another  into  committing  mortal  sin? 
Suppose  a  person  is  without  sin,  and  is  killed,  where  does 
his  soul  go?  Suppose  a  person  who  has  been  led  into  a 
mortal  sin,  and  dies  in  it,  where  does  his  soul  go?  Where 
shall  his  body  go  later?  A  person,  who  has  been  led  into 
mortal  sin,  lives  after  that ;  what  can  he  still  do  concerning 
his  sin?  His  soul  will  then  again  become  spiritually  alive. 
Which  life  can  be  regained?  Which  life  cannot  be  re- 
gained, if  it  is  once  lost? 

IV.  Summary.  He  injures  his  neighbor's  soul,  who 
leads    (seduces)    him  into  sin.     He  who  unjustly   strikes, 


33Q  FIFTH  COMMANDMENT 

wounds  or  kills  his  neighbor's  body.  The  fifth  command- 
ment forbids  all  the  sins  which  may  prove  injurious  to 
the  bodily  or  spiritual  life  of  ourselves  and  of  our  neigh- 
bor. 

V.  Application,  i.  Let  us  have  another  example  of  se- 
duction. A  mother  calls  out :  "  Johnny,  come  home." 
But  Johnny  is  now  playing.  Frank  says :  "  Stay  here, 
Johnny,  don't  go."  Johnny  stays.  Another  time  Frank 
says  to  Johnny :  "  I  know  where  there  are  fine  straw- 
berries. Let  us  go  and  get  some."  Johnny  goes  along. 
They  enter  a  neighbor's  garden,  and  help  themselves ;  but 
the  owner  sees  them  and  comes  after  them ;  Frank  escapes, 
but  Johnny  is  caught  and  gets  a  beating.  After  this  Frank 
tells  Johnny :  "  That  is  a  mean  man ;  get  even  with  him 
by  throwing  stones  into  his  windows."  And  Johnny  breaks 
that  man's  windows  by  throwing  stones  into  them.  How 
should  Frank  tell  his  sins ?  "I  led  my  companion  into 
sin,  once  into  disobedience,  another  time  into  stealing,  and 
then  into  breaking  a  neighbor's  windows." 

2.  Dear  children,  beware  of  leading  others  into  sin.  He 
who  does  so,  acts  like  the  devil.  He  must  then  think : 
"  I  am  a  devil."  Our  divine  Saviour  says :  "  He  who 
leads  others  into  sin,  deserves  to  have  a  millstone  hung 
about  his  neck  and  to  be  thus  thrown  to  the  bottom  of  the 
sea,  that  the  world  may  get  rid  of  him." 

3.  Beware  of  bad  companions.  Better  no  companion  at 
all,  than  a  bad  one.  A  bad  companion,  who  leads  one  into 
sin,  is  like  a  devil.  He  seeks  to  kill  a  soul.  Seducers  ap- 
pear to  be  kind  and  friendly,  as  if  they  were  innocent 
lambs;  but  in  their  hearts  they  are  wolves.  When  one  of 
them  comes  to  you,  and  says  "  let  us  do  so  and  so ;  "  and 
you  know  that  such  a  thing  is  sinful,  leave  him  at  once, 
and  never  go  with  him  again.  Make  this  resolution : 
"  I  will  not,  for  the  whole  world,  commit  a  sin  and  offend 
God." 

How  to  confess  sins  against  the  fifth  commandment:     I 


IMPURITY  331 

was  envious ;  I  was  angry ;  I  insulted  and  mocked  others ; 
I  struck  others;  I  led  others  into  sin  (mention  the  sin). 


THE  SIXTH  AND  NINTH  COMMANDMENTS. 

A. 
14.  Impurity. 

I.  Preparation.  When  God  created  the  first  man  He 
said :  "  Let  us  make  man  in  our  own  image  and  likeness." 
Relate  what  God  then  did.  The  bodies  of  our  first  parents 
were  beautiful;  but  far  more  beautiful  were  their  souls, 
which  were  adorned  with  a  wonderfully  beautiful  garment. 
What  is  that  garment  called?  The  pure  white  garment  of 
sanctifying  grace.  It  imparted  a  dazzling  splendor  to  their 
souls,  like  that  of  the  sun.  This  splendor  of  their  souls 
penetrated  their  bodies  and  made  them  very  bright,  and 
this  brightness  served  as  a  garment  to  their  bodies.  For 
this  reason  their  bodies  needed  no  clothing  to  cover  them. 
How  good  and  happy  were  Adam  and  Eve  in  paradise! 

Did  they  always  remain  good  and  happy  ?  Wrhat  loss  did 
Adam  and  Eve  suffer  in  their  souls  through  their  sin? 
The  pure  white  garment  of  sanctifying  grace.  Their  souls 
did  no  longer  shine  like  the  sun,  and  the  brightness  of 
their  bodies  vanished.  And  their  eyes  were  opened,  and 
they  saw  on  themselves  what  they  had  never  before  seen. 
They  saw  that  they  were  naked.  And  this  made  them 
ashamed,  and  they  blushed.  Their  bodies  were  covered 
with  a  wonderful  brightness  before  their  sin;  but  were 
covered  with  shame  after  their  sin.  To  cover  their  shame 
they  made  and  put  on  aprons  of  fig-leaves.  Thus  they  re- 
mained partially  covered  until  God  clothed  them  with  gar- 
ments made  from  the  skins  of  animals,  for  God  does  not 
will  that  men  should  be  without  clothing.  There  are  still 
savages  in  certain  parts  of  the  world  that  go  naked  with  the 


332  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT 

exception  of  some  clothing  below  the  waist  to  cover  what 
decency  requires  not  to  remain  uncovered.  Natural  mod- 
esty induces  every  one  to  keep  those  parts  of  the  body 
covered.  He  who  uncovers  them  unnecessarily  is  shame- 
less, immodest. 

Object.  I  will  teach  you  to-day  that  a  child  should  not 
be  immodest. 

II.  Relation.  Noe  had  three  sons,  Sem,  Cham  and 
Japhet.  After  the  deluge  Noe  began  to  cultivate  the 
ground  again.  He  planted  a  vineyard.  But  he  did  not 
know  that  wine  can  make  a  person  drunk.  The  first  time 
he  drank  wine,  he  drank  too  much  of  it.  He  got  drunk 
and  lay  down  naked  in  his  tent.  Cham  saw  his  father 
there,  and  began  to  ridicule  and  mock  him.  He  ran  out 
and  told  his  brothers.  But  Sem  and  Japhet  were  better 
behaved.  They  would  not  listen  to  all  he  said,  but  they 
took  a  cloak  and  went  backwards  in  their  father's  tent, 
and,  without  looking  at  him,  they  covered  him  with  the 
cloak.  When  Noe  awoke,  they  related  to  him  what  had 
happened.  Then  Noe  said :  "  A  curse  on  Cham  ;  evil  shall 
happen  to  him ;  but  a  blessing  over  Sem  and  Japhet,  and 
they  shall  prosper."  And  thus  it  happened.  His  father's 
curse  came  upon  wicked  Cham,  and  Sem  and  Japhet  met 
with  blessing  and  prosperity. 

Consideration  —  Noe's  drunkenness.  What  did  Noe 
plant  after  the  deluge?  What  did  he  not  know  about 
wine?  What  happened  when  he  first  drank  wine?  He 
who  is  entirely  drunk,  does  not  know  what  he  does.  How 
was  he  lying  down  in  his  tent?  That  part  of  his  body 
which  requires  to  be  always  covered,  was  uncovered.  Who 
saw  him  in  that  state?  Cham  went  out  to  tell  it  to  his 
brothers.  These  blushed  hearing  this,  for  they  were  much 
better  than  Cham.  They  refused  to  speak  about  it  with 
Cham.  What  did  they  do  at  once?  And  how  modestly 
did  they  do  so?  What  did  they  afterwards  tell  their 
father  ? 


IMPURITY  333 

Man's  body  should  be  holy.  This  is  the  will  of  God. 
We  should  not  gaze  at  any  immodest  part  of  man's  body. 
Who  creates  man's  body?  To  whom  does  man's  body 
belong?  The  Holy  Ghost  has  come  into  the  hearts  of  those 
who  are  baptized,  and  remains  therein  so  long  as  they  do 
not  commit  mortal  sin.  What  do  we  call  the  place  where 
God  dwells?  The  house  of  God,  a  church.  Our  body 
is  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  You  see  how  holy  God 
has  made  your  body.  On  the  last  day  your  body  shall 
rise  from  the  grave.  In  what  state  will  the  bodies  of 
the  just  then  be?  More  bright  and  resplendent  than  the 
bodies  of  our  first  parents  before  their  sin.  And  where 
are  our  bodies  destined  to  go?  There  they  will  shine  as 
the  sun.  Therefore,  we  are  bound  to  keep  our  body 
holy. 

Sinning  in  the  body  through  impurity.  When  a  modest 
child  dresses  or  undresses,  bathes  or  does  anything  nec- 
essary, when  it  is  alone  or  with  others,  a  modest  child 
never  looks  at  the  parts  of  its  body  that  should  always 
be  covered  as  God  directs.  A  modest  child  turns  away 
from  the  sight  of  even  little  children  uncovered,  and  makes 
them  cover  themselves.  How  should  Cham  have  acted 
when  he  saw  his  father  in  the  tent?  But  what  did  he  do? 
( Immodest  =  impure.  Immodesty  =  impurity.  Modest, 
modesty  =  pure,  purity.)  God  says  to  us  in  the  sixth 
commandment,  that  we  should  not  do  anything  impure. 
Cham  sinned  against  it  by  impure  looks.  But  he  did  even 
more ;  for  he  could  not  keep  to  himself  what  he  had  seen, 
but  related  it  to  his  brothers.  He  sinned  also  by  impure 
talk  or  speech.  Sem  and  Japhet  heard  the  impure  talk  of 
Cham.  Now  suppose  they  had  remained  standing  with 
Cham  to  hear  him  talk  impurely  and  laugh  at  what  he 
said;  what  sin  would  they  have  committed?  Wilfully  lis- 
tened to  impure  talk.     That  also  is  a  sin. 

He  who  has  seen  or  heard  anything  impure,  often  re- 
members it  a  long  time.     Although  he  may  not  think  of 


334  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT 

it  all  the  time,  it  comes  back  to  his  mind  from  time  to 
time.  When  Cham  went  out  of  his  father's  tent,  he  was 
still  thinking  of  the  impure  things  he  had  seen.  To  reflect 
on  things  impure  is  a  sin  against  the  ninth  commandment. 
Cham  by  reflecting  on  impure  things,  sinned  against  the 
ninth  commandment.  Those  who  reflect  on  such  things, 
will  soon  follow  Eve's  example.  What  happened  to  Eve 
the  longer  she  looked  at  the  forbidden  fruit?  She  longed 
for  it.  He  who  reflects  on  what  is  impure,  will  easily 
long  for  it,  desire  it.  But  impure  desires  are  forbidden 
by  the  ninth  commandment,  and  are  therefore  sinful. 
What  did  Eve  do  at  last  when  her  longing,  her  desire  for 
the  forbidden  fruit  became  stronger?  She  took  and  ate 
some.  Thus  also  act  the  impure.  First,  such  a  one  hears 
or  sees  something  impure,  then  he  thinks  of  it,  and  speaks 
of  it,  takes  pleasure  therein,  then  gets  a  desire  for  it, 
and  touches  what  is  impure  on  himself  or  others.  He  com- 
mits an  impure  act,  and  that  is  very  sinful,  and  forbidden 
by  the  sixth  commandment. 

With  pleasure  or  wUfully;  not  wilfully.  Let  us  return 
to  Noe.  What  effect  had  the  wine  on  him?  How  was 
it  that  he  drank  too  much?  What  would  he  have  done, 
if  he  had  known  that  the  wine  was  so  strong?  Hence 
Noe  did  not  wilfully  get  drunk.  Therefore  Noe's  drunk- 
enness was  not  sinful.  How  did  the  drunken  Noe  lie  down 
in  his  tent?  He  did  not  purposely  or  wilfully  do  what 
was  impure,  for  he  was  a  good  man.  He  did  not  know 
what  he  was  doing,  and,  besides,  he  was  asleep.  He  there- 
fore committed  no  sin.  A  child  uncovers  itself,  lifts  up 
its  dress,  looks  at  itself,  etc.  It  realizes  that  it  is  doing 
something  bad  or  impure,  and  takes  pleasure  in  it.  What 
does  that  child  commit?  Why?  And  why  did  Noe  not 
commit  a  sin  by  doing  as  he  did?  Why  was  it  no  sin  for 
Sem  and  Japhet  to  hear  what  Cham  told  them  about  their 
father?  There  is  no  sin  of  impurity  committed  unless  it  is 
done   wilfully,   with  pleasure.     He  only  who  wilfully,  or 


IMPURITY  335 

with  pleasure,  thinks,  sees,  listens  to  or  does  what  is  im- 
pure, is  guilty  of  sin. 

How  to  avoid  sins  of  impurity.  You  must  watch  over 
your  eyes  and  your  ears.  You  should  restrain  your 
curiosity,  and  not  wish  to  see  all  that  is  going  on,  to  see 
the  shows  and  their  pictures,  or  to  hear  everything  that 
is  said,  to  read  every  novel  or  story  book.  Hence,  if  you 
chance  to  see,  hear  or  read  something  that  is  not  pure  or 
modest,  restrain  your  wish  to  look  again,  to  hear  more, 
to  read  further.  When  you  hear  some  one  talking  im- 
purely, do  not  stay  and  laugh,  but  go  away  at  once.  In 
like  manner,  if  you  happen  to  see  anything  impure,  turn 
your  eyes  away,  and,  if  necessary,  go  to  some  other  place. 
Thus  do  good  children  act.  Be  careful  not  to  expose  your 
person  to  others. 

It  happens  not  very  seldom  that  when  children  have  seen 
or  heard  anything  impure,  the  thoughts  of  these  things 
come  back  to  them.  If  you  then  do  not  want  such  thoughts, 
and  try  to  drive  them  away,  you  do  not  commit  any  sin, 
for  they  are  not  wilful.  Sometimes  after  you  drive  them 
away  several  times,  they  come  back.  Keep  driving  them 
away  every  time,  and  try  to  think  of  other  things.  The 
best  would  be  to  pray  at  once,  as  soon  as  you  remark  such 
thoughts  in  your  mind,  by  saying:  "My  Jesus,  help  me; 
Mary,  help  me.  Jesus  and  Mary,  help  me."  If  you  do 
this  every  time,  you  may  be  sure  that  those  thoughts  were 
not  wilful,  and  that  you  did  not  commit  any  sin.  On  the 
contrary,  you  gained  a  victory  over  the  temptation,  and 
deserved  greater  reward  and  glory  in  heaven.  Endeavor 
to  be  as  pure  as  an  angel;  never  touch  or  look  at  your 
person  or  another's  without  real  necessity,  and  never  out 
of  pleasure.  If  other  children  expose  themselves,  or  speak 
of  impure  things,  it  may  be  necessary  for  you  to  report 
them  to  the  teacher  or  to  their  parents. 

Impure,  unbecoming.  Not  everything  that  is  unbecom- 
ing is  also  impure.     It  is  unbecoming  to  call  names,  queer 


336  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT 

and  harsh  names,  funny  names;  but  these  names  are  not 
impure.  Impure  talk  is  far  worse.  Moreover,  some 
games,  especially  of  boys,  have  certain  unbecoming  features, 
but  are  not  impure.  It  would  be  better  not  to  engage  in 
them,  but  they  may  mostly  be  engaged  in  without  sin. 

III.  Connection.  The  worst  sin  against  the  sixth  com- 
mandment is  the  sin  of  action,  committed  in  secret  with 
one's  self  or  with  others.  How  are  sins  of  impurity  com- 
mitted with  the  eyes?  With  the  ears?  With  the  tongue? 
What  is  the  difference  between  impure  words  and  unbe- 
coming words?  How  is  impurity  in  thought  committed? 
Into  what  sin  of  impurity  do  they  fall  who  take  pleasure 
(indulge)  in  impure  thoughts?  Into  impure  desires,  or 
the  wish  to  commit  impurity?  Impure  desires  and  wilful 
impure  thoughts  are  forbidden  by  the  ninth  commandment. 
When  are  impure  thoughts  not  sinful?  When  does  he 
who  sees  or  hears  impure  things,  commit  no  sin?  What 
should  we  do  with  a  companion  who  speaks  or  acts  im- 
purely? What  should  we  do  with  those  houses  or  shows 
where  impure  things  are  to  be  seen?  What  must  we  then 
avoid?     Everything  that  leads  to  impurity. 

IV.  Summary.  The  sixth  commandment  forbids  all 
impure  words  and  actions  (including  seeing,  hearing,  read- 
ing) ;  and  also  everything  that  leads  to  impurity.  The 
ninth  commandment  forbids  impure  thoughts  and  desires. 

V.  Application,  i.  Let  us  see  which  sins  of  impurity 
Cham  committed.  How  did  he  sin  with  his  eyes?  In 
thought?  With  his  tongue?  How  should  he  tell  his  sins? 
"  I  saw  something  impure  with  pleasure ;  I  took  pleasure 
in  thinking  on  it;  I  spoke  about  it  to  others."  Albert 
passing  along  heard  some  young  fellows  talking  obscenely 
(about  impure  things)  ;  he  stopped  and  listened  to  them, 
talked  and  laughed  with  them.  What  sins  did  he  commit? 
How  should  he  confess  them?  "I  took  pleasure  in  lis- 
tening to  obscene  language  (impure  talk)  ;  I  spoke  ob- 
scenely (about  impure  things)." 


CHASTITY  337 

2.  Dear  children,  God  hates  and  detests  every  sin,  but 
more  especially  the  sins  of  impurity.  Therefore  He  so 
severely  punishes  sins  of  impurity.  The  deluge.  The 
beautiful  cities  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrha  were  destroyed 
by  fire  from  heaven,  because  their  inhabitants  were  very 
impure ;  where  those  cities  were,  there  is  now  a  large  lake 
of  sulphurous,  stinking  water,  wherein  no  fish  can  live ;  it 
is  called  the  Dead  Sea. 

3.  Therefore,  be  on  your  guard  against  impurity.  When 
you  are  with  others,  or  are  alone,  when  no  person  sees 
you,  He  is  present  who  sees  and  knows  all  things,  our 
very  thoughts  and  desires,  even  in  the  darkest  night,  and 
who  will  severely  punish  those  who  sin.  Remember  also 
that  your  guardian  angel  is  always  with  you  and  witnesses 
all  you  do.  Avoid  bad  company.  And  when  bad  thoughts 
come  to  your  mind,  say  at  once :  "  Jesus  and  Mary,  help 
me!     Keep  me  from  sin." 

How  to  confess  sins  against  the  sixth  and  ninth  com- 
mandments. I  took  wilful  pleasure  in  impure  thoughts ; 
I  looked  with  wilful  pleasure  on  impure  things  (or  pic- 
tures) ;  I  read  an  impure  book;  I  listened  wilfully  to  im- 
pure talk;  I  spoke  of  (or  said,  or  sung)  impure  words; 
I  did  an  impure  thing  (by  myself,  or  with  others). 


B. 
15.  Chastity,  or  Purity. 

"  Oh,  how  beautiful  is  the  chaste  generation  with  glory; 
for  the  memory  thereof  is  immortal :  because  it  is  known 
both  with  God  and  with  men.  When  it  is  present,  they 
imitate  it;  and  they  desire  it,  when  it  hath  withdrawn 
itself;  and  it  triumpheth  crowned  forever,  winning  the  re- 
ward of  undefiled  conflicts."     (Wisd.  4.  1,  2.) 

I.  Transition.  The  last  time  I  spoke  to  you  on  im- 
purity.    In   how   many   ways   are  sins   of   impurity   com- 


33.8  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT 

mitted?  Impurity  is  abominable  and  detestable.  To-day 
you  will  hear  how  beautiful  is  the  virtue  of  purity. 

Object.  I  will  tell  you  about  a  boy,  who  was  modest 
and  pure  and  became  thereby  most  happy. 

II.  Relation.  His  name  was  Stanislaus  Kostka.  Al- 
ready in  his  childhood  Stanislaus  was  very  modest  and 
chaste  (pure).  When  he  heard  any  impure  words,  he 
blushed  very  deeply,  and  his  eyes  were  filled  with  tears, 
and  he  would  immediately  go  away.  If  he  could  not  do 
so,  he  would  get  so  frightened  and  so  horrified  at  the  im- 
pure language,  that  he  would  tremble  all  over,  and  some- 
times even  faint.  He  never  defiled  his  pure  soul  with  the 
slightest  impure  sin.  The  very  sight  of  his  face  shining 
with  innocence  showed  how  pure  and  chaste  he  was.  He 
was  therefore  called  by  everybody  an  angel.  Being  so 
pure  and  chaste,  he  would  never  go  with  impure  children; 
he  never  looked  around  curiously;  he  always  kept  his  eyes 
modestly  cast  down.  Wherever  he  was,  he  remembered 
that  God  was  near  him,  and  saw  and  knew  all  he  thought 
and  did. 

Prayer  was  his  sweetest  joy.  Already  as  a  little  child, 
he  used  to  say  in  one  of  his  prayers :  "  Dear  Lord,  I  will 
be  all  Thine."  He  daily  heard  one  or  more  Masses  with 
real  devotion.  With  a  bright  and  joyful  countenance, 
joined  hands  and  eyes  cast  down  in  church,  he  looked  like 
an  angel.  When  praying  he  forgot  everything  around 
him.  Those  who  then  saw  him,  would  say :  "  The  little 
saint  is  praying."  His  favorite  place  in  church  was  be- 
fore the  tabernacle.  He  would  kneel  there  for  hours 
without  leaning  on  or  against  anything.  Many  a  time  a 
shining  light,  like  that  seen  in  pictures  around  the  head 
of  a  saint,  would  issue  from  his  face.  Stanislaus  took 
delight  not  only  in  being  near  our  divine  Saviour  in  church, 
but  especially  in  having  Jesus  in  his  heart.  He  knew : 
"  W7hen  our  dear  Saviour  is  in  my  heart,  the  devil  cannot 
lead  me  into  sin."     Therefore  he  went  every  week  to  con- 


CHASTITY  339 

fession  and  Holy  Communion.  Stanislaus  had  also  a 
tender  love  for  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary.  He  would  say: 
"  God  is  my  Father,  and  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  is  my 
Mother."  He  took  delight  in  speaking  of  Mary.  He 
could  never  speak  enough  of  her.  When  he  would  see 
one  of  her  pictures  or  statues,  he  would  kneel  down  before 
it,  and  say  a  prayer  to  his  beloved  Mother.  He  recited 
daily  the  rosary  in  her  honor.  Mary  rewarded  him  by 
making  him  very  pure  and  chaste. 

When  Stanislaus  was  not  praying,  he  was  either  working 
or  studying.  He  was  never  idle.  When  tired  of  work- 
ing or  studying,  he  would  join  other  children  in  innocent 
games.  He  was  never  seen  with  a  dissatisfied  or  angry 
face.  He  always  looked  cheerful  and  contented,  and 
smiling.  His  eyes  were  shining  with  innocence  and  were 
like  two  stars,  through  which  the  purity  of  his  heart  could 
be  seen.  Those  who  had  once  seen  him,  could  never  for- 
get him.  Seldom  had  a  more  lovely  and  graceful  boy 
been  seen.  All  were  enchanted  at  his  aspect  and  could 
never  look  enough  at  him,  and  there  arose  in  them  the 
thought :  "  Would  that  I  were  so  innocent  and  pure  as 
he ! "  Therefore,  everybody  liked  him.  Every  child 
wished  to  be  in  his  company  and  play  with  him.  When 
Stanislaus  was  praying  in  church,  each  one  would  try  to 
kneel  right  behind  him,  for  they  wished  to  see  how  piously 
and  devoutly  he  prayed.  Many  imitated  him,  and  when 
these  children  returned  home,  their  parents  were  astonished 
to  find  them  far  better  and  more  pious  than  they  had  been 
before. 

Even  the  angels  and  saints  loved  and  honored  Stanislaus. 
Once  a  whole  army  of  angels  came  to  him,  and  one  of 
them  gave  him  Holy  Communion.  When  Stanislaus  was 
dangerously  sick,  St.  Barbara  came  with  two  angels  to 
him,  and  one  of  them  gave  him  Holy  Communion.  One 
night  when  Stanislaus  thought  he  was  about  to  die,  the 
Blessed  Virgin  holding  the  Infant  Jesus  in  her  arms  sud- 


34Q  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT 

denly  stood  before  his  bed.  Mary  laid  the  divine  Infant 
on  his  bed,  so  that  Stanislaus  could  take  Him  in  his  arms 
and  press  Him  to  his  heart.  Stanislaus  did  so,  and  was 
immediately  perfectly  cured.  He  would  afterwards  often 
think  on  this,  and  wish :  "  O  would  that  I  were  now  near 
Jesus  and  Mary  in  heaven,  and  could  see  them  again !  " 

St.  Stanislaus  therefore  wrote  a  letter  to  his  dear  Mother 
Mary  in  heaven,  in  which  he  said :  "  My  dearest  Mother 
Mary,  obtain  for  me  that  I  may  die  on  the  feast  of  thy 
Assumption.  I  am  longing  to  see  thee  and  to  tell  thee 
how  I  love  thee."  Five  days  before  the  Assumption  he 
placed  that  letter  next  to  his  heart  and  received  Holy 
Communion.  The  following  day  he  fell  sick,  and  said : 
"  I  shall  die  in  five  days."  He  got  worse,  and  he  received 
the  last  sacraments  on  the  eve  of  the  Assumption.  When 
the  priest  came  with  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  as  soon  as 
Stanislaus  saw  our  Lord,  he  knelt  on  his  bed;  his  eyes 
shone  brightly,  and  his  face  was  like  transfigured.  All 
present  wept  to  see  him  so.  He  continued  to  pray  as  long 
as  he  could.  All  at  once  his  face  shone  with  heavenly 
joy.  He  beheld  his  dear  Mother  Mary  surrounded  with 
a  multitude  of  virgin  saints.  They  had  come  to  take  Stanis- 
laus to  heaven  with  them.  He  died  on  the  feast  of  the 
Assumption,  as  he  had  prayed  for. 

Stanislaus  was  eighteen  years  old  when  he  died.  Quietly 
with  a  pleasant  smile  he  passed  away.  And  after  his 
death,  his  face  became  more  and  more  bright  and  pleasant. 
He  had  the  appearance  of  an  angel.  People  now  came 
from  all  directions,  in  order  to  behold  Stanislaus  once  more. 
They  kissed  his  feet,  and  spoke  of  how  piously  and  inno- 
cently Stanislaus  had  lived.  After  two  years  his  body  was 
still  incorrupt,  and  later  on  the  odor  of  sweet-scented 
violets  issued  from  his  grave.  From  near  and  from  afar 
people  came  to  his  parents  to  congratulate  them  on  having 
had  so  holy  a  son.  His  parents  rejoiced  greatly.  And 
what  a  sweet  joy  must  Stanislaus  have  had,  when  he  came 


CHASTITY  341 

in  heaven  to  the  feet  of  Jesus  and  His  holy  Mother !     There 
he  received  a  glorious  crown  from  God. 

I.    STANISLAUS    WAS    CHASTE. 

Consideration,  i.  A  chaste  generation.  How  was  that 
boy  called  about  whom  I  have  just  spoken  to  you?  What 
kind  of  talk  Stanislaus  would  not  listen  to  already  when 
he  was  only  a  little  child?  What  was  he  then?  What 
happened  to  him  when  impure  language  was  used,  and  he 
was  not  able  to  go  away?  So  greatly  did  he  abhor  (detest) 
impurity  in  others.  Much  less  did  he  say  or  do  anything 
impure.  From  what  did  he  always  preserve  his  soul  pure? 
How  could  this  be  seen  in  him?  What  did  people  call 
him  on  that  account?  Which  of  you  have  seen  the  pic- 
ture of  an  angel?  How  beautiful  are  the  angels!  Modest 
and  chaste  children  are  like  angels  God  sends  upon  earth. 
How  many  beautiful  flowers  there  are  in  spring!  And 
what  a  fine  bouquet  you  can  make  with  them !  But  much 
more  beautiful  is  the  modest,  chaste  soul  of  a  pure  child ! 
Even  the  earthly  paradise  was  not  so  beautiful. 

Means  of  practising  chastity.  1.  Watchfulness.  Stanis- 
laus was  very  modest.  With  what  children  would  he  not 
associate?  His  brother  was  rude  and  unrefined.  Often 
he  wished  to  bring  Stanislaus  with  him  into  bad  company. 
But  Stanislaus  preferred  to  be  scolded  and  beaten  than 
to  go  with  him.  Once  his  brother  even  knocked  him  down 
and  kicked  him  around ;  but  Stanislaus  would  not  go  with 
him.  For  into  what  would  those  evil  companions  have 
led  him,  if  he  had  associated  with  them?  Stanislaus  al- 
ways watched  over  himself.  How  did  he  watch  over  his 
eyes  ? 

2.  The  fear  of  God.  And  of  whom  did  Stanislaus  think 
wherever  he  was?  He  was  always  careful  to  avoid  the 
slightest  fault.  For  who  knows  and  sees  all  things?  Why 
does  God  know  all  things?  Therefore  Stanislaus  thought 
of  God  everywhere.     What  does  a  child  avoid,  that  reflects 


342  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT 

that  God  is  everywhere?  Who  constantly  watches  at  your 
side?  Your  guardian  angel  also  sees  constantly  the  face 
of  our  Father  in  heaven.  When  therefore  the  devil  sug- 
gests anything  impure  to  you,  think  at  once :  "  God  and 
my  guardian  angel  see  me;  I  will  not  do  anything  to  dis- 
please them." 

3.  Prayer.  Stanislaus  was  very  fond  of  prayer.  What 
is  he  who  is  fond  of  prayer?  What  was  Stanislaus?  A 
pious  child  does  not  become  impure.  But  a  child  that  does 
not  like  to  pray,  does  not  long  remain  pure.  God  does 
not  love  an  impure  child.  But  Stanislaus  wished  to  be- 
long entirely  to  God.  How  did  he  express  this  wish  in 
prayer?  Stanislaus  was  always  willing  to  pray.  When 
.should  you  pray  at  home?  Morning  and  night.  Ask  your 
mother,  before  you  go  to  bed,  to  sprinkle  you  and  your 
bed  with  holy  water.  A  child,  when  in  bed,  should  join 
its  hands  and  recite  an  Our  Father  and  a  Hail  Mary  be- 
fore falling  asleep,  and  the  devil  will  not  be  able  to  do  it 
any  harm.  What  should  you  do,  when  the  devil  suggests 
any  evil  to  you,  in  order  to  lead  you  into  sin?  Pray. 
To  whom  would  you  call  for  help,  if  a  strong  man 
would  try  to  do  you  harm  ?  "  Father  and  mother,  help 
me !  "  In  like  manner,  when  the  devil  suggests  some 
evil  to  you,  in  order  to  murder  your  soul,  you  should 
say :  "  Jesus,  help  me !  Mary,  help  me !  Jesus,  do  not 
forsake  me !  Mary,  my  Mother,  protect  me ! "  Where 
should  you  go  every  morning  to  pray?  And  on  whom 
should  you  think,  when  you  are  praying?  If  you  do 
so,  you  will  pray  devoutly.  What  did  St.  Stanislaus  do 
every  day  about  holy  Mass?  On  whom  only  did  he  think 
during  Mass  ?  On  what  did  he  not  then  think  ?  He  forgot 
everything  else  during  Mass.  How  did  he  kneel  down  in 
church?  What  then  can  you  learn  from  his  behavior  in 
church?  Whom  did  St.  Stanislaus  resemble  when  he  was 
in  church?     What  did  people  therefore  say  about  him? 

4.  Devotion   to  the  Blessed   Sacrament.     Where   is 


CHASTITY  343 

our  divine  Saviour  in  the  church?  Where  should  we 
kneel  to  get  very  near  to  him?  He  who  truly  loves  Him, 
finds  pleasure  in  His  company.  St.  Stanislaus  loved  our 
Saviour  above  all.  Where  then  was  his  favorite  place  in 
church  ?  Every  morning  he  would  go  to  church  very  early, 
look  towards  the  tabernacle  and  ask  our  Saviour's  blessing. 
What  can  you  tell  me  about  his  prayer  before  the  taber- 
nacle? People  could  see  what  a  great  pleasure  it  was  for 
him  to  pray  before  the  tabernacle.  What  was  there  re- 
markable on  his  face?  O  how  many  children  should  be 
ashamed  of  themselves  before  St.  Stanislaus?  They  can 
hardly  stay  still  for  a  moment  in  church.  They  do  not 
wish  to  pray,  and  they  soon  grow  tired  of  being  in  church. 

5.  Frequent  reception  of  Holy  Communion.  It  was 
not  enough  for  Stanislaus  to  be  able  to  be  near  our  divine 
Saviour.  His  love  for  Jesus  was  much  greater.  He 
wished  to  have  Jesus  in  his  heart  also.  How  does  Jesus 
come  into  our  hearts?  How  often  did  Stanislaus  receive 
Holy  Communion?  The  devil  can  do  no  harm  to  him  who 
possesses  Jesus.  What  does  the  devil  try  to  lead  us  into? 
Stanislaus  knew  that ;  therefore  he  often  received  our 
Saviour  in  Holy  Communion. 

6.  Devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary.  Whom  did 
Stanislaus  love  next  to  Jesus?  His  heart  was  all  aglow 
with  love  for  her.  How  could  this  be  seen  from  his  con- 
versations? How  did  he  call  her,  when  he  spoke  of  her? 
During  the  day  he  often  prayed :  "  My  Jesus  and  my  dear 
Mother  Mary."  What  did  he  daily  do  to  honor  her? 
How  did  he  act  when  he  came  across  a  picture  or  statue 
of  Mary?  How  did  Mary  reward  Stanislaus?  Dear  chil- 
dren, if  you  wish  to  be  pure  and  chaste  and  always  to 
overcome  impure  temptations,  consecrate  yourselves  to  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  and  say  every  morning  and  every  night 
three  Hail  Marys  in  honor  of  the  immaculate  purity  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  when  tempted,  say :  "  Jesus  and 
Mary,  help  me,  protect  me."     (St.  Alphonsus.} 


344  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT 

7.  Work  And  Study.  St.  Stanislaus  prayed  often  dur- 
ing the  day.  What  did  Stanislaus  do,  when  he  was  not 
praying?  But  work  and  study  make  one  tired.  There- 
fore you  cannot  study  all  the  time.  What  do  you  do  in 
the  schoolyard  during  recess?  What  did  Stanislaus  do 
when  he  was  tired  of  working  and  studying?  He  was 
very  diligent  and  industrious.  He  who  is  always  busy 
had  no  time  for  evil  thoughts.  But  alas!  not  all  children 
are  diligent.  How  do  you  call  such  children  as  are  not 
diligent?  Behind  every  lazy  child  there  stands  a  devil  to 
suggest  to  him  all  kinds  of  evil  and  impure  thoughts ;  and 
the  devil  does  not  rest,  until  he  has  led  that  child  into  sin. 
Hence  the  saying :  "  Idleness  is  the  devil's  pillow  and 
the  beginning  of  every  vice." 

II.    CHASTITY    MADE   STANISLAUS    EXCEEDINGLY    HAPPY. 

1.  Oh,  how  beautiful  is  the  chaste  generation  with  glory. 
Gracefulness  and  cheerfulness.  Stanislaus  always  kept  busy. 
He  was  never  out  of  humor  or  disagreeable.  How  was 
he  disposed?  What  can  you  say  about  his  face?  About 
his  eyes?  What  could  be  learnt  therefrom?  Parents  de- 
sire beautiful  children,  and  children  desire  to  be  beautiful. 
Chastity  makes  a  child's  face  bright  and  cheerful,  and  the 
appearance  of  innocence  makes  children  very  happy.  A 
chaste  child  is  as  light  and  as  happy  as  a  bird  that  sings. 

2.  The  chaste  are  in  honor  with  both  God  and  men.  So 
long  as  they  are  on  earth,  they  serve  as  models  for  imita- 
tion. Chastity  adorned  Stanislaus  so  much,  that  people 
had  never  seen  a  more  graceful  boy.  What  were  the  feel- 
ings of  those  who  saw  him?  How  did  they  also  wish  to 
be?  The  children  were  especially  fond  of  him.  How 
could  this  be  seen  at  play?  How  when  kneeling  in  church? 
What  effect  did  his  good  conduct  produce  on  his  com- 
panions? Who  often  wondered  at  this?  You  see  from 
this  that  an  innocent  and  pure  child  is  a  source  of  pleas- 
ure and  joy  to  every  one.     He  who  sees  such  a  child  feels 


CHASTITY  345 

his  heart  soften,  and  he  thus  thinks  of  that  child :  "  Thou 
art  like  a  fragrant  flower,  so  nice,  so  beautiful,  so  pure. 
And  I  feel  inclined  to  lay  my  hands  on  thy  head  and  to 
pray  God  to  preserve  thee  so  pure,  so  beautiful,  so  grace- 
ful." 

3.  The  chaste  are  honored  by  the  angels  and  saints! 
How  did  the  angels  honor  St.  Stanislaus?  How  did  St. 
Barbara  honor  him?  Stanislaus  was  very  sick  in  a  board- 
ing house.  And  no  one  would  call  the  priest  for  him. 
Stanislaus  thought  he  was  going  to  die.  Then  he  prayed 
to  St.  Barbara,  who  helps  people  to  die  well.  He  said: 
"  St.  Barbara,  deign  to  help  me,  that  I  may  not  die  without 
receiving  Holy  Communion."  And  how  did  St.  Barbara 
help  him?  It  was  about  midnight,  when  Stanislaus  sat  up 
in  bed,  and  shaking  his  sick  nurse,  whispered :  "  Kneel' 
down ;  St.  Barbara  with  two  angels  are  coming  to  bring 
me  Holy  Communion."     And  so  it  was. 

4.  The  chaste  are  in  honor  with  Mary  and  with  God. 
The  Blessed  Virgin  also  honored  St.  Stanislaus.  Mary 
looks  so  lovingly  on  the  children  who  are  chaste,  as  a  good 
mother  on  her  beloved  children.  And  Mary  prays  to  God 
for  them.  God  also  looks  as  a  good  father  on  innocent 
and  pure  children.  You  cannot  imagine  how  greatly  God 
is  pleased  with  them.  Look  at  the  heavens  on  a  clear, 
bright  night.  How  many  stars  shine  and  twinkle  there. 
They  would  seem  like  angels'  eyes  looking  down  so  kindly 
and  friendly  upon  us.  What  a  pleasant  sight!  In  like 
manner,  the  innocent  and  chaste  children  shine  just  as 
pleasantly  and  as  lovely  in  the  eyes  of  God.  God,  there- 
fore, loves  dearly  the  pure  and  chaste. 

When  the  Son  of  God  came  upon  earth,  He  chose  as 
His  Mother  the  most  pure  and  chaste  Virgin  Mary.  The 
disciple  He  most  loved  was  the  pure  and  chaste  John, 
whom  He  allowed  to  rest  his  head  on  His  Sacred  Heart. 
Therefore  Jesus  so  dearly  loved  innocent  children  He  said: 
"  Suffer  little  children  to  come  to  Me,  and  forbid  them  not, 


346  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT 

for  theirs  is  the  Kingdom  of  heaven."  Because  St.  Stan- 
islaus was  pure  and  chaste  the  Infant  Jesus  also  came  to 
him.  When  did  this  happen?  Relate.  What  was  he 
allowed  to  do  with  the  divine  Infant?  Stanislaus  could 
never  forget  this.  Where  did  he,  therefore,  long  to  go? 
For  what?  On  what  feast  did  St.  Stanislaus  wish  to  die? 
Who  was  to  come  to  take  him  to  heaven?  How  did  he 
make  known  his  wish  to  the  Blessed  Virgin?  How  many 
days  was  it  before  the  Assumption?  And  what  happened 
during  the  following  night?  What  did  Stanislaus  say  as 
soon  as  he  got  sick?  He  grew  always  worse  and  worse, 
and  during  the  night  preceding  the  Assumption  he  re- 
ceived the  last  sacraments.  How  did  he  act  when  the 
priest  brought  the  Blessed  Sacrament?  What  was  the 
appearance  of  his  face?  What  were  the  feelings  of  all 
who  then  saw  him?  His  death  came  nearer  and  nearer. 
What  prayers  were  then  said  for  him?  And  what  did 
Stanislaus  do  during  those  prayers?  Whom  did  Stan- 
islaus expect  to  come  for  him?  How  did  the  Blessed  Vir- 
gin fulfil  his  expectation?  Who  came  with  her?  What 
happened  to  his  face  when  he  beheld  his  heavenly  Mother? 
Then  he  conversed  silently  with  her  until  he  died.  On 
what  feast  did  he  die?  Thus  did  Mary  fulfil  his  prayer. 
How  beautiful  and  happy  was  the  life  of  St.  Stanislaus! 
But  his  death  is  almost  more  beautiful.  Oh,  how  happy  it 
is,  indeed,  to  be  innocent  and  chaste ! 

"  And  when  the  chaste  generation  hath  withdrawn  itself, 
men  desire  it.  Its  memory  is  immortal."  How  old  was 
Stanislaus  when  he  died?  What  was  the  appearance  of 
his  face  when  he  was  dying?  And  after  his  death? 
People  from  all  directions  to  see  him.  How  did  they  show 
that  they  dearly  loved  him?  Of  what  did  they  speak? 
Thus  it  happens  to  the  innocent.  Long  after  their  death 
people  think  of  them,  speak  well  of  them,  praise  them  and 
rejoice  over  them. 


CHASTITY  347 

Stanislaus  was  buried.  What  miracle  took  place  in  his 
body  when  in  the  grave?  People  from  near  and  from  afar 
went  to  the  parents  of  St.  Stanislaus.  For  what  reason? 
Why  did  they  wish  them  happiness?  Thus  do  chaste 
children  give  joy  to  their  parents  even  after  their  death. 

"  And  the  chaste  generation  triumpheth  crowned  for- 
ever, winning  the  reward  of  undefiled  conflicts." 

Where  did  the  soul  of  St.  Stanislaus  go  when  he  died? 
What  must  have  been  his  feelings  when  he  was  admitted 
to  see  Jesus  and  Mary?  And  how  did  God  reward  him 
for  his  purity  and  chastity?  When  such  a  pure  soul  comes 
before  the  throne  of  God,  Oh,  with  what  joy  she  is  received 
by  our  divine  Saviour!  And  Mary  places  her  among  the 
great  multitude  of  the  pure  and  chaste  souls ;  and  she  re- 
ceives a  crown  more  brilliant  than  that  of  the  other  saints, 
and  she  accompanies  the  Saviour  wherever  He  goes,  and 
sings  a  hymn  which  other  saints  cannot  sing.  How  happy 
must  St.  Stanislaus  have  felt  in  heaven  for  having  so 
courageously  watched  over  himself  and  remained  so  pious 
and  so  chaste. 

III.  Connection.  How  did  people  call  St.  Stanislaus? 
The  little  saint,  the  angel.  Whom  did  he  resemble  when 
at  prayer?  Angels  are  innocent  and  pure.  How  was  his 
soul?  And  how  are  the  souls  of  all  chaste  children?  The 
angels  are  pictured  like  beautiful,  graceful  youths.  What 
effect  has  the  chastity  of  Stanislaus  on  his  countenance? 
All  chaste  children  are  beautiful  and  lovely.  Because  the 
angels  are  innocent  and  pure,  God  takes  delight  in  them. 
Why  did  God  take  delight  in  Stanislaus?  In  which  chil- 
dren does  God  take  delight.  And  who  else  took  delight  in 
Stanislaus?     And  also  in  all  chaste  children? 

In  whom  did  Stanislaus  take  the  greatest  delight?  In 
whom  do  the  angels?  And  likewise  all  chaste  children. 
With  whom  do  the  angels  prefer  to  be?  Where  did 
Stanislaus  like  so  much  to  be  ?     And  where  do  chaste  chil- 


348  SIXTH  COMMANDMENT 

dren  like  to  go?  What  do  the  angels  in  heaven  do  near 
God?  They  kneel  before  God's  throne  and  adore  Him. 
What  did  St.  Stanislaus  take  delight  in  doing?  And  be- 
fore whom  he  loved  so  much  to  kneel?  What  do  all 
chaste  children  love  to  do?  Whom  did  St.  Stanislaus  love 
the  most  after  God?  To  whom  do  chaste  children  love 
to  pray?  Even  the  angels  in  heaven  honor  and  revere 
the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  for  she  is  their  Queen. 

IV.  Summary.  "  Oh,  how  beautiful  is  the  chaste  gen- 
eration with  glory !  "  Chastity  beautifies  the  bodies  and 
souls  of  children,  and  imparts  happiness  to  them.  Men 
cannot  forget  chaste  children.  They  are  beloved  by  men, 
by  the  angels  and  saints,  by  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  by 
God  Himself.  During  their  life  they  serve  as  models  to 
others;  their  death  is  beautiful,  and  after  their  death 
people  long  for  them.  In  heaven  they  are  crowned  and 
receive  a  special  reward,  because  they  struggled  so  faith- 
fully during  their  life  and  remained  so  pure. 

V.  Application,  i.  Dear  children,  from  the  example 
of  St.  Stanislaus  you  perceive  how  happy  are  the  children 
who  are  pure  and  chaste.  You  can  all  become  happy  also. 
Listen  and  hear  how  good  men  encourage  you :  "  Oh,  how 
beautiful  are  the  chaste  children  with  glory.  They  are 
honored  by  God  and  by  men."  All  are  fond  of  them. 
If  you  wish  to  be  happy  and  be  loved  by  all,  be  chaste 
and  pure.  And  what  do  the  angels  in  heaven  say  to  you? 
"  Oh,  how  beautiful  are  chaste  children  with  glory !  "  Shun 
all  evil  companions  and  all  curious  looks.  Be  pure  and 
chaste,  and  you  are  already  angels  on  earth,  soon  to  be 
angels  in  heaven.  Never  forget  that  you  have  always  an 
angel  at  your  side  in  order  to  bring  you  to  heaven.  Pray 
to  him  and  follow  his  inspirations.  And  what  does  the 
Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  from  far  above  the  angels,  say  to 
you :  "  Oh,  how  beautiful  are  chaste  children  with  glory  !  " 
"  Do  you  sincerely  wish  to  be  my  children,  love  me  dearly 


CHASTITY  349 

and  pray  earnestly  to  me.  And  I,  your  Mother,  will  help 
you  to  remain  pure  and  chaste,  so  that  roses  will  bloom 
on  your  cheeks  and  lilies  in  your  hearts." 

And  what  does  our  divine  Saviour  say  to  you  ?  "  Oh, 
how  beautiful  are  chaste  children  with  glory !  "  He  that 
loves  chastity  has  the  King  of  heaven  as  his  friend.  Do 
you  not  wish  to  be  the  favorites  of  the  King  of  heaven 
and  allow  Him  to  draw  and  press  you  to  His  heart?  If 
you  do,  take  pleasure  in  going  to  Jesus  in  the  church,  and 
pray  to  Him  before  His  tabernacle,  that  He  may  help  you 
remain  pure  and  chaste.  And  what  does  the  Blessed 
Trinity  say  to  you?  "Oh,  how  beautiful  are  chaste  chil- 
dren with  glory  !  "  The  Father  says  to  you :  '  I  created 
you  in  My  image.  Remain  pure  and  chaste."  The  Son 
says :  "  I  redeemed  you  and  gave  My  life  for  you.  Re- 
main pure  and  chaste."  The  Holy  Ghost  says :  "  I  sanc- 
tified you  in  baptism  and  made  My  dwelling  in  you. 
Remain  pure  and  chaste."  Oh,  how  beautiful,  therefore, 
are  chaste  and  pure  children  in  the  glory  of  their  virtue ! 
Already  on  earth  they  are  loved  and  honored  by  God,  and 
all  good  men.  And  when  they  go  before  God's  throne  in 
their  purity  and  chastity,  they  obtain  honor  and  happiness 
without  end. 

2.  Therefore,  dear  children,  when  sin  entices  you,  Oh, 
do  not  follow  it.  Remain  pure  and  innocent!  The  inno- 
cence of  your  soul  should  be  dearer  to  you  than  everything 
in  this  world.  It  is  your  most  precious  treasure  on  earth 
and  your  greatest  honor.  Stand  up,  all  of  you,  look  at 
the  crucifix,  look  at  Jesus!  See  how  He  hangs  on  the 
cross,  He  who  shed  His  blood  to  the  last  drop  for  your 
soul,  that  you  may  not  be  lost !  Look  at  Him  well !  Let 
each  one  say :  "  My  dearest  Saviour,  I  promise  Thee,  that 
I  will  not  for  the  whole  world,  commit  a  mortal  sin  through 
impurity;  that  I  prefer  death  to  mortal  sin." 


35o  SEVENTH  COMMANDMENT 

SEVENTH  COMMANDMENT. 
16.  Our  Neighbor's  Property. 

I.  Preparation.  How  many  brothers  and  sisters  have 
you,  Bertha  ?  One  brother  and  one  sister.  What  are  their 
names?  Martin  and  Rose.  Now  your  father  gives  you 
and  them  clothes  and  books.  To  whom  do  the  clothes  and 
books  belong  which  your  father  gave  you?  To  me.  Yes, 
they  are  your  property.  To  whom  belong  those  he  gave 
to  Martin?  To  Martin.  They  are  his  property.  To 
whom  belong  those  he  gave  to  Rose?  To  Rose.  They 
are  her  property.  Wherefrom  did  your  father  get  all  that 
he  has,  his  house,  his  farm  ?  He  bought  them ;  he  in- 
herited them.  And  his  horses  and  cows  ?  He  raised  them ; 
he  bought  them.  All  these  things  belong  to  your  father; 
they  are  his  property.  Who  are  those  that  own  a  great 
many  things  ?  The  rich.  Who  are  those  that  own  but  few 
things?  The  poor.  The  poor  own  something,  however 
little  it  may  be.  It  is  their  property.  Wherefrom  have 
all  men  their  property?  Everything  in  the  world  belongs 
to  God.  Why?  Whose  property  are  all  things  in  the 
world?  God's.  Now,  Martin,  suppose  you  would  take 
away  from  Rose  the  things  father  gave  her.  What  would 
your  father  say  ?  "  That  is  not  right,  you  must  give  them 
back  to  Rose.  They  belong  to  her,  and  not  to  you."  Now, 
Bertha,  suppose  you  would  take  away  from  Martin  the 
things  father  gave  him;  what  would  father  say  again? 
Now  who  is  the  Father  of  all  men?  Therefore  God  says 
to  each  man :  "  Thou  shalt  not  take  away  any  one's  prop- 
erty " ;  or  briefly :     "  Thou  shalt  not  steal." 

Object.  I  will  now  speak  about  a  boy  who  never  took 
away  the  property  of  another. 

II.  Relation — (Copied  from  Rev.  Valentine  Eschen- 
lohr.  St.  Paschal  Baylon,  when  still  a  boy,  was  hired 
out  to  strangers  by  his  very  needy  parents.     His  employers 


OUR  NEIGHBOR'S  PROPERTY  351 

set  him  to  keeping  their  flock  of  sheep.  He  took  great 
care  that  the  sheep  should  not  trespass  on  or  injure  the 
property  of  others.  Nevertheless  it  sometimes  happened 
that  some  lambs  and  sheep  would  go  into  the  neighbors' 
fields  and  there  eat  the  seeds  and  the  clover.  As  soon  as 
Paschal  would  notice  it  he  drove  his  trespassing  sheep  out 
of  those  fields,  and  then  he  would  examine  the  amount  of 
the  damage  they  had  done,  and  then  note  it  down  in  his 
memorandum,  which  he  had  always  with  him.  In  the  even- 
ing he  would  go  to  the  owner  of  the  field  and  pay  out 
of  his  earnings  for  the  damage  done  by  his  master's  flock. 
"  You  are  too  anxious,"  others  used  to  say  to  him ;  "  if 
you  do  this  every  time,  you  shall  have  to  pay  more  than 
you  earn."  "  Oh,"  said  Paschal,  "  I  do  not  want  any  un- 
just goods;  I  will  rather  restore  my  neighbor's  property 
during  my  life,  than  later  on  go  to  hell."  In  the  sum- 
mer months  he  always  took  a  sickle  along  to  help  the 
servants  in  cutting  the  wheat,  etc.  But  he  would  take  no 
pay  for  that,  saying :  "  I  will  thereby  make  up  for  the 
damage  I  may  unknowingly  have  done  to  these  people." 
Often  the  other  shepherds  wished  him  to  go  along  with 
them  to  get  fruit ;  but  he  never  allowed  himself  to  be  per- 
suaded to  go  along  with  them ;  and  he  would  never  touch 
or  eat  any  of  the  stolen  fruit.  During  the  vintage  a  big 
shepherd  wished  to  compel  him  to  go  with  him  into  a 
vineyard  to  steal  grapes.  The  shepherd  was  rough  and 
strong,  and  was  greatly  feared  by  the  other  shepherds. 
But  Paschal  said :  "  I  will  not  go  with  you,  for  that  is 
a  sin."  The  rough  shepherd  got  angry,  and  pulled  Paschal 
as  far  as  the  vineyard,  and  said :  "  Either  come  along 
with  me,  or  I  will  kill  you."  "  You  can  kill  me,"  replied 
Paschal,  "  but  you  cannot  compel  me  to  take  what  does  not 
belong  to  me."  When  the  impudent  man  returned,  he 
held  the  stolen  grapes  before  Paschal's  face,  saying  in 
mockery :  "  They  are  sweet ;  but  you  shall  not  get  a  single 
one  of   them."     "  I   do   not  want  any,"   replied    Paschal ; 


352  SEVENTH  COMMANDMENT 

"  when  I  wish  to  eat  grapes,  I  will  buy  them  with  my  own 
money."  Another  shepherd  was  not  so  good  as  Paschal; 
he  went  along  into  the  vineyard,  stole  and  ate  plenty  of 
grapes ;  but  they  made  him  very  sick.  Paschal  said  to 
him :  "  You  now  see  that  stolen  things  do  not  profit  you." 
The  other  shepherds,  however  much  they  said  and  tried, 
could  never  persuade  Paschal  to  transgress  the  seventh 
commandment.  To  him  his  neighbor's  property  was 
sacred. 

Consideration  —  Injuring  another's  property.  About 
whom  have  I  been  speaking?  Where  did  he  go,  when  he 
was  yet  a  boy?  What  were  his  parents?  W^hat  kind  of 
work  was  given  him?  Paschal  would  take  out  his  sheep 
into  meadows  and  fields,  that  they  might  feed  on  the  grass. 
About  what  was  he  very  watchful?  About  his  sheep  not 
feeding  in  the  fields  of  strangers,  and  keeping  them  only 
where  they  had  a  right  to  be,  that  is,  in  uncultivated  fields, 
lying  between  and  near  cultivated  fields.  Where  did  the 
pilfering  sheep  sometimes  trespass?  What  would  they  do 
there?  They  would  eat  the  seeds  and  the  young  and  ten- 
der clover,  which  tasted  very  good.  If  those  fields  had 
belonged  to  Paschal,  there  would  not  have  been  anything 
wrong  in  that.  But  whose  property  were  they?  They  be- 
longed to  his  neighbor,  to  others.  The  owners  underwent 
a  loss  of  a  part  of  their  property  in  the  seeds  and  clover 
eaten  by  the  sheep.  They  were  injured  in  their  property 
by  Paschal's  sheep.  It  was  Paschal's  duty  to  watch  over 
his  sheep.  Who  then  was  the  cause  of  the  damage  caused 
by  the  sheep?  But  Paschal  did  not  will  it;  he  did  not  wish 
to  see  his  sheep  in  cultivated  fields.  What  would  he  do 
when  he  saw  them  there?  What  would  he  do  to  remember 
it?     What  had  he  always  with  him? 

Examples.  Children  can  also  injure  their  neighbor's 
property.  How  so?  By  running  through  planted  fields 
and  gardens,  injuring  the  plants,  the  trees;  killing  fowls; 
marking  and  scratching  walls,  throwing  stones  and  break- 


OUR  NEIGHBOR'S  PROPERTY  353 

ing  windows;  in  a  word,  by  injuring  the  property  of  others. 
Children  sometimes  tear  or  soil  the  books  and  hats  and 
other  articles  of  clothing  of  their  schoolmates.  That  is 
damaging  another's  property,  and  is  sinful.  Paschal's 
sheep  had  enough  to  eat  where  he  brought  them ;  but  when 
the  sheep  saw  young  clover  and  other  tender  plants  in 
other  fields,  they  would  go  there  to  eat  some,  because  such 
things  tasted  better.  In  like  manner,  there  are  children, 
who,  although  they  have  enough  to  eat,  will  pilfer,  wherever 
they  can,  cakes,  candy,  fruit,  jams,  preserves,  because  they 
taste  nicer.  These  children  imitate  Paschal's  sheep  and  the 
other  shepherds.  How?  Children  that  pilfer  at  home, 
will  also  steal  from  strangers.  Great  thieves  began  by 
pilfering,  by  stealing  little  things  at  home,  in  school.  Great 
thieves,  when  caught,  are  sent  to  the  penitentiary  for 
months  and  years.  And  whenever  they  are  let  out,  most 
of  them  steal  more  than  before. 

Robbery,  burglary  and  murder.  Almost  every  day  the 
papers  relate  robberies  that  took  place  the  day  or  the  night 
before  in  the  street,  or  in  dwellings,  or  in  banks,  or  in 
business  places.  People  are  publicly  attacked  and  threat- 
ened with  death,  if  they  do  not  give  up  their  money,  their 
valuables  ;  their  purses,  etc.,  are  sometimes  publicly  snatched 
out  of  their  hands,  or  their  pockets;  buildings  are  entered 
into  at  night  and  all  the  money  and  jewelry  in  them  car- 
ried away ;  often  if  the  robbers  and  burglars  meet  with 
opposition,  they  kill  the  owners.  Bands  of  boys  11,  12, 
13  or  more  years  old,  have  in  large  cities  turned  robbers 
and  stolen  thousands  of  dollars'  worth  of  property  by 
night  and  by  day,  and  even  committed  murder.  All  these 
thieves  and  robbers  began  by  pilfering  little  things  at  home. 

When  you  find  something,  such  as  a  knife,  a  pocket- 
book,  etc.,  you  must  give  it  to  the  owner,  if  you  know  to 
whom  it  belongs.  If  the  article  you  found  is  valuable, 
you  must  try  and  find  out  the  owner;  for  you  are  not  al- 
lowed to  keep  what  does  not  belong  to  you.     In  that  case 


354  SEVENTH  COMMANDMENT 

your  parents  will  do  it  for  you.  To  keep  for  yourself 
what  you  find,  although  you  know  to  whom  it  belongs,  is 
real  stealing.  It  is  also  stealing  to  cheat  others.  If  when 
you  buy  something  and  get  back  too  much  change  through 
mistake,  you  must  not  keep  what  was  given  to  you  over 
and  above  the  right  change,  but  give  it  back  to  the  owner. 
Some  children  when  they  are  sent  to  buy  something,  keep 
a  part  of  the  money  given  them  by  their  parents,  for  candy, 
etc.,  and  tell  their  parents  the  article  they  bought  cost  more 
than  it  really  did.  That  is  cheating  your  parents.  It  is 
also  cheating  to  take  advantage  of  the  wants  of  our  neigh- 
bor, to  get  a  thing  from  him  for  much  less  than  it  is  worth. 
For  instance,  a  man  who  is  in  great  need  of  money  for 
his  family,  for  his  business,  comes  to  you  asking  you  to 
buy  his  watch,  which  is  worth  over  one  hundred  dollars; 
he  offers  it  to  you  for  fifty  dollars;  you  take  advantage 
of  his  wants  and  offer  him  only  twenty-five  dollars  for  it, 
and  at  last  the  poor  man  gives  it  to  you  for  twenty-five 
dollars,  for  he  is  in  very  great  need.  You  have  cheated 
him  by  this  transaction  out  of  twenty-five  dollars.  That 
is  sinful  and  cruel  on  your  part. 

Restitution  and  compensation.  Let  us  return  to  Paschal. 
His  sheep  had  not  done  any  great  damage.  To  whom  did 
Paschal  go  in  the  evening  each  time  that  his  sheep  had 
caused  some  damage?  What  did  he  do  concerning  the 
damage?  He  paid  the  owners  the  amount  of  the  damage 
his  sheep  had  caused;  in  other  words  he  indemnified  them 
for  the  damage.  Where  did  he  take  the  money  from  in 
order  to  do  this?  His  neighbor  then  recovered  what  be- 
longed to  him,  just  as  God  wills  it  should  be.  God  does 
not  forgive  the  sin  of  him  who  caused  damage  to  his 
neighbor  by  stealing,  cheating,  injuring  his  property,  unless 
he  makes  restitution  for,  or  repairs  the  damage  done  by 
him.  What  must  we  do  to  obtain  God's  forgiveness  when 
we  have  injured  our  neighbor  in  his  property? 

Although    Paschal    had    committed    no    sin    against    his 


OUR  NEIGHBOR'S  PROPERTY  355 

neighbor  in  his  property,  he  made  restitution  for  the  damage 
done.  Who  were  displeased  at  this?  What  did  they  say 
to  him  about  it?  What  was  Paschal's  reply?  Where  do 
unjustly  acquired  goods  bring  us  to?  He  who  has  injured 
his  neighbor  in  his  property  and  made  no  restitution  or 
compensation,  shall  forever  burn  in  hell.  (That  is,  if  the 
matter  of  the  injustice  or  injury  is  grievous;  for  only  a 
grievous  matter  can  induce  a  grievous  obligation.)  Which 
did  Paschal  prefer,  to  make  restitution,  or  to  burn  in  hell  ? 
Wrhat  did  Paschal  take  along  with  him  in  summer?  For 
what?  Did  he  ask  or  take  pay  for  his  work?  What  rea- 
son did  he  give?  He  wished  also  to  compensate  the  injury 
he  might  have  done  to  others  without  knowing  it. 

You  see,  children,  from  this,  that  you  are  bound  to  com- 
pensate (make  restitution  for)  the  injury  you  have  done 
your  neighbor.  You  cannot  always  or  easily  do  it  with 
money.  Why  not  ?  But  you  can  do  it  like  Paschal.  How  ? 
By  helping  him ;  for  instance,  minding  his  children,  going 
on  messages  for  him  without  remuneration. 

Helping ;  concealing  stolen  goods.  To  what  sins  did  the 
other  shepherds  try  to  lead  Paschal?  They  were  very 
earnest  in  this.  Did  they  gain  their  object?  He  would 
not  go  with  them.  They  also  tried  to  make  him  eat  of 
the  stolen  fruit.  But  what  did  Paschal  do?  Why  would 
he  not  eat  of  such  fruit?  He  who  accepts  stolen  things, 
is  no  better  than  the  thief.  What  does  he  commit,  who 
accepts  stolen  things?  What  did  a  big  shepherd  try  to 
force  Paschal  to  do  during  the  vintage?  The  other  shep- 
herds were  greatly  afraid  of  that  man.  Why?  What  did 
Paschal  answer  him?  Why  did  he  not  go  along  with  him? 
How  did  that  bad  shepherd  take  Paschal's  answer.  He 
wished  to  bring  Paschal  by  force  with  him  to  steal  grapes. 
Where  did  he  drag  Paschal  along?  How  did  he  threaten 
him?  But  Paschal  remained  firm.  What  would  he  have 
preferred  to  undergo  rather  than  steal  ?  He  was  right ; 
for  a  good  child  should  always  say :     "  I  would  rather  die 


356  SEVENTH  COMMANDMENT 

than  steal  and  commit  sin."  The  impudent  man  tried  an- 
other way  to  overcome  Paschal.  What  did  he  hold  up 
before  Paschal's  face,  when  he  came  back  from  stealing 
grapes?  The  grapes  must  have  looked  very  nice  and  de- 
licious. What  did  the  shepherd  say  in  mockery  to  Paschal? 
He  expected  that  it  would  excite  in  him  the  desire  to  go 
and  steal  grapes  for  himself.  What  effect  did  that  have 
on  Paschal?  Paschal  paid  no  attention  to  the  seducer,  al- 
though he  naturally  would  have  liked  to  eat  such  fine 
grapes.  But  what  kind  of  grapes  he  did  not  wish  for? 
Therefore,  what  answer  did  he  give  that  shepherd?  But 
Paschal's  companion  was  not  so  good.  To  what  did  he 
allow  himself  to  be  seduced?  What  was  the  effect  of  eat- 
ing those  grapes?  They  made  him  sick.  What  did  Pas- 
chal then  say  to  him?  This  shows  that  stolen  things  do 
not  profit,  do  not  bring  luck.  The  shepherds  often  again 
tried  to  induce  him  to  go  along  with  them  to  steal.  Did 
they  gain  anything  by  doing  so?  Which  commandment 
forbids  stealing?  Which  commandment  Paschal  did  not 
transgress?  In  what  does  he  who  breaks  this  command- 
ment injure  his  neighbor?  From  whom  have  men  their 
property?  Therefore  his  neighbor's  property  was  sacred 
to  Paschal. 

III.  Connection.  Let  us  examine  and  compare  the  dif- 
ferent ways  in  which  we  can  injure  our  neighbor  in  his 
property.  When  a  child  wishes  to  pilfer  at  home,  he  waits 
till  his  mother  has  gone  out.  Why?  The  child  pilfers 
in  secret.  Who  is  it  that  does  not  wish  to  be  seen  taking 
other  people's  things?  The  thief.  How  does  the  thief 
act?  In  secret.  In  like  manner,  did  the  child  act,  who 
kept  back  a  nickel  or  a  dime  for  candy,  for  he  did  not 
wish  mother  to  know  it.  Also  the  child  who  got  too  much 
change  at  the  grocery,  and  kept  it  for  himself,  did  this 
secretly  also.  A  burglar  also  enters  houses  and  buildings 
to  steal  in  secret,  especially  when  every  one  is  asleep.  The 
robber   steals   things   by   force.     He  who   takes   advantage 


OUR  NEIGHBOR'S  PROPERTY  357 

of  others  r.i  bargains,  in  buying  and  selling,  of  their  pov- 
erty, ignorance  or  simplicity,  is  as  bad  as  the  robber.  What 
do  all  these  persons  commit?  Sin.  There  is  another  kind 
of  sin  against  the  seventh  commandment.  Which  is  it? 
To  cause  damage  wilfully  to  our  neighbor's  property.  If 
the  damage  is  not  caused  wilfully,  it  is  no  sin.  Why? 
Was  the  damage  done  by  Paschal's  sheep  to  the  property 
of  others,  a  sin  for  Paschal?  What  did  he,  nevertheless, 
do  about  it?  Made  restitution  or  compensation.  What 
must  they  do  who  have  injured  their  neighbor  in  his  prop- 
erty? They  must  make  restitution,  restore  what  they 
have  taken  or  its  value.  (If  the  stolen  or  damaged  object 
was  valuable,  the  obligation  of  restitution  binds  under  pain 
of  mortal  sin;  so  that  if  the  thief,  etc.,  is  able  to  make 
restitution  and  does  not  do  it,  he  cannot  have  any  of  his 
sins  forgiven.  Hence  to  such  a  one  St.  Augustine  says: 
"  Restitution  or  damnation.") 

IV.  Summary.  The  seventh  commandment,  "  Thou 
shalt  not  steal,"  forbids  doing  unjustly  every  kind  of  in- 
jury to  our  neighbor  in  his  property,  such  as  by  pilfering, 
stealing,  cheating,  robbery,  or  keeping  what  belongs  to  an- 
other (things  found). 

V.  Application,  i.  Let  us  see  once  more  what  sins  are 
committed  against  the  seventh  commandment.  Charles  is 
fond  of  pilfering.  As  soon  as  his  mother  is  out  of  sight, 
he  looks  everywhere  for  sweetmeats.  From  one  place  he 
steals  sugar,  from  another  some  cake,  or  some  fruit.  This 
he  does  almost  every  day.  How  should  he  tell  his  sins? 
"  I  stole  sweetmeats  almost  every  day."  One  day  Mark's 
mother  left  the  key  in  the  drawer.  Mark  opened  it,  and 
took  two  dimes  out  of  it.  How  must  he  tell  his  sin ?  "I 
stole  two  dimes"  (or  twenty  cents).  Another  day  when 
making  a  purchase  in  a  grocery,  he  saw  some  nickels  on 
the  counter,  and  when  the  clerk's  eyes  were  turned  in 
another  direction,  he  took  three  nickels.  Passing  near  a 
fruit-stand  he  took  a  peach  and  an  orange.     He  took  a 


358  SEVENTH  COMMANDMENT 

knife  from  another  boy.  How  must  he  confess  his  sins? 
"  I  stole  from  a  store  three  nickels,  and  a  peach  and  an 
orange  from  a  stand  and  a  knife  from  a  boy."  Johnny 
entered  the  neighbor's  orchard  at  least  twenty  times,  and 
stole  plums,  pears  and  other  fruits  each  time.  How  should 
he  tell  his  sins?  "  I  stole  fruit  at  least  twenty  times  from 
a  neighbor's  orchard."  John  got  five  cents  too  much 
change  in  a  store,  and  more  than  thirty  times  he  kept 
five  cents  each  time  from  the  money  his  mother  gave  him 
to  pay  for  things  he  brought  from  different  stores.  How 
must  he  tell  his  sins?  "  I  kept  five  cents  given  me  too 
much  in  change,  and  more  than  thirty  times  I  kept  back 
five  cents  from  the  money  mother  gave  me  to  pay  for  things 
bought."  Frank  found  a  purse  on  the  sidewalk  containing 
five  dollars.  He  knew  to  whom  it  belonged,  for  he  had 
seen  a  man  drop  it ;  but  he  kept  it ;  he  did  the  same  with 
a  knife  a  schoolmate  had  left  on  his  desk  in  school,  and 
with  a  silk  handkerchief  of  the  priest  which  he  had  found 
on  the  steps  outside  of  the  church.  How  must  he  tell  his 
sins?  "I  found  a  pocket-book  containing  five  dollars; 
and  I  found  also  a  knife  and  a  silk  handkerchief.  I  have 
kept  all  these  things,  although  I  knew  who  had  lost  them." 
Robert  quarreled  with  a  companion  on  Sunday,  and  threw 
him  into  a  gutter,  and  ruined  thereby  his  fine  new  suit  of 
clothes.  The  next  day  at  school  he  spoiled  a  schoolmate's 
Bible  History  by  tearing  a  good  many  leaves  out  of  it. 
How  must  he  tell  his  sins?  "  I  ruined  a  companion's  fine 
new  suit  of  clothes,  and  spoiled  a  school  book  of  one  of 
my  schoolmates." 

2.  Dear  children,  beware  of  taking  eatables  and  sweet- 
meats and  other  little  things  at  home,  for  you  will  thereby 
acquire  the  habit  of  stealing.  Never  take  even  the  smallest 
thing  belonging  to  your  neighbor.  Rather  suffer  hunger 
than  steal ;  rather  be  always  poor  and  needy  and  honest, 
than  become  rich  by  stealing  or  cheating.  A  thief  dis- 
graces himself  before   God  and  men.     Never   destroy  or 


LYING  AND  FALSEHOOD  359 

damage  your  neighbor's  property.  The  devil  is  fond  of 
destroying  things  out  of  sheer  malice.  He  who  injures 
his  neighbor's  property,  has  something  devilish  in  him.  If 
you  have  stolen  anything  or  done  injury  to  your  neighbor 
in  his  property,  be  sure  to  make  restitution  or  compensa- 
tion. Otherwise,  according  to  the  amount  of  the  injury 
you  have  done,  you  shall  have  to  burn  for  a  time  in  purga- 
tory or  in  hell  forever! 

How  to  confess  sins  against  the  seventh  commandment. 
I  have  pilfered  or  stolen  eatables  at  home ;  I  have  stolen 
money  at  home  (from  my  parents)  ;  I  have  stolen  from 
others ;  I  have  cheated  others ;  I  have  kept  things  I  found ; 
I  have  injured  or  destroyed  the  property  of  others.  When 
the  amount  stolen  or  the  damage  done  is  great,  it  should 
also  be  mentioned. 


EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT. 
17.  Lying  and  Falsehood. 

I.  Preparation.  In  the  earthly  paradise  God  said  to 
Adam  and  Eve:  "If  you  eat  of  the  tree  in  the  middle 
of  paradise,  you  shall  die."  But  they  ate  of  it.  And  what 
happened  to  them  later  on?  Therefore  what  God  had  said 
was  true.  After  their  sin  God  promised  them  a  Redeemer. 
When  did  the  promised  Redeemer  come?  Therefore  what 
God  had  said  was  true.  What  God  says  is  always  true. 
Whose  Son  from  all  eternity  was  the  promised  Redeemer? 
The  Redeemer  also  spoke  to  men.  Wrhat  did  Jesus  fore- 
tell that  Judas  would  do  against  Him?  And  what  really 
happened?  Wrhat  were  the  things  that  Jesus  foretold? 
True.  What  did  Jesus  foretell  to  Peter  ?  And  what  really 
took  place  ?  And  all  that  Jesus  said  and  taught  was  true ; 
for  Jesus  is  God.  All  that  God  says  is  true ;  for  God  is 
Truth  itself. 

Whose  children   are  all   men?     According  to  what   did 


360  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT 

God  create  men?  Whom  do  children  resemble?  Whom 
should  all  men  resemble?  But  God  always  tells  the  truth; 
He  is  the  Father  of  truth.  How  should  all  men  speak 
always?  Men  should,  therefore,  say  nothing  false  or  un- 
true. Therefore  God  says  in  the  eighth  commandment : 
"  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness  against  thy  neighbor." 

Object.  I  will  show  you  from  the  conversation  of  the 
devil  with  Eve,  how  wicked  and  ugly  it  is  to  bear  false 
witness. 

II.  Development. 

i.  Hypocrisy.  How  did  the  devil  show  himself  to- 
wards Eve,  when  she  came  near  the  forbidden  tree? 
Very  friendly.  But  he  had  no  good  intentions  towards 
her.  To  what  did  he  wish  to  seduce  her?  What  effect 
was  that  to  produce  on  our  first  parents?  To  make  them 
unhappy.  What  kind  of  intention  has  he  who  seeks  to 
make  another  person  unhappy?  An  evil  intention.  What 
did  the  devil  intend  in  his  heart  towards  Adam  and  Eve? 
But  how  did  he  outwardly  show  himself?  Very  friendly. 
The  devil  represented  himself  better  disposed  towards  Adam 
and  Eve  than  he  really  was.  He  who  represents  himself 
better  disposed  towards  another  than  he  is  really,  is  said 
to  dissemble,  to  play  the  hypocrite.  Who  is  a  hypocrite? 
What  was  the  devil  when  he  spoke  to  Eve?  WTicked  men 
often  do  likewise. 

There  is  a  beggar  begging  at  a  corner,  or  near  a  church. 
When  he  sees  a  priest  or  a  pious  person  coming  his  way, 
he  takes  out  his  beads,  makes  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and 
makes  out  he  is  praying,  and  why?  To  make  the  priest, 
etc.,  believe  he  is  a  pious,  holy  man.  And  what  for?  To 
get  an  alms.  He  plays  the  hypocrite;  he  is  a  hypocrite. 
Why?  He  represents  himself,  he  tries  to  make  people 
believe  that  he  is  far  better  than  he  is  really.  How  does 
that  beggar  act?  Through  hypocrisy  which  is  an  ugly, 
hateful  sin.  Who  was  the  first  hypocrite?  The  devil.  A 
hypocrite   is   false,   deceitful   like   the   devil.     And   so   is  a 


LYING  AND  FALSEHOOD  361 

false,  deceitful  child.  How  some  mischievous,  wicked 
children,  when  they  do  wrong,  try  to  appear  innocent  in 
order  to  throw  the  blame  on  others  who  are  innocent! 

2.  Lies.  The  devil,  with  all  his  hypocrisy,  would  prob- 
ably not  have  succeeded  in  seducing  Eve,  if  he  had  not  also 
used  other  means.  He  asked  her  a  question.  What  was 
it?  What  was  Eve's  answer?  And  what  did  the  devil 
then  say  to  Eve?  "By  no  means  shall  you  die";  that  is, 
you  shall  certainly  not  die.  Did  not  the  devil  know  what 
would  happen,  if  our  first  parents  would  eat  of  the  for- 
bidden fruit?  And  yet  what  did  he  say?  Therefore  he 
spoke  to  Eve  differently  from  what  he  knew,  differently 
from  the  truth.  What  was  the  truth?  Therefore  the 
devil  said  to  Eve  what  was  not  true.  He  said  not  only: 
"  You  shall  not  die,"  but  added  something  else.  What 
did  he  add?  "You  shall  be  like  God."  The  devil  knew 
very  well  that  Adam  and  Eve  could  not  become  like  God. 
Therefore  he  again  asserted  what  he  knew  was  not  true. 
What  do  we  call  it,  when  a  person  says  something  which 
he  knows  is  not  true?  A  lie.  What  did  the  devil  do  in 
speaking  to  Eve?  He  tried  to  deceive  her  by  telling  lies. 
Telling  a  lie  is  a  sin.  What  sin  did  the  devil  commit? 
Here  is  another  example.  Rose  was  kept  in  after  school 
for  missing  her  lesson.  She  came  home  late.  Her  mother 
asked  her:  "What  kept  you  so  late?"  Rose  answered: 
"  I  was  playing  with  some  of  the  school  girls."  Did  Rose 
tell  the  truth?  She  knew  very  well  that  it  was  not  true. 
What  sin  did  she  commit? 

What  do  you  call  those  who  tell  lies?  Liars.  Who  told 
the  first  lie?  Who  was,  then,  the  first  liar?  Lying  comes 
from  the  devil,  and  the  devil  is  called  "  the  father  of  lies." 
Everything  the  devil  said  to  Eve  was  a  lie  from  the  be- 
ginning to  the  end.  He  can  tell  only  lies,  and  seeks  to 
deceive  every  one  by  his  lies. 

Who  cannot  lie?  What  is  everything  that  God  says? 
Why?     Because   He   is   Truth    itself.     Therefore   God   in- 


362  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT 

tensely  hates  lies.  Why  is  the  devil  called  "  the  father  of 
lies "  ?  Since  God  can  tell  only  what  is  true,  how  may 
we  call  Him?     The  Father  of  truth. 

Whose  children  are  all  men?  Whom  should  they  re- 
semble? But  God  is  Truth  itself  and  says  only  what  is 
true.  What  should  all  men  say,  if  they  wish  to  resemble 
God,  their  Father?  Whom  does  the  liar  resemble?  Every 
lie  he  tells  is  as  an  ugly  stain  which  the  devil  makes  in 
his  soul.  The  more  lies  a  man  tells,  the  more  he  is  like 
the  devil.  Who  is  the  father  of  the  liar?  Who  is  a  child 
of  the  devil?  The  liar.  What  a  disgrace  to  have  the 
devil  as  one's  father !  The  devil  hates  God  with  a  terrible 
hatred.  He  is  thoroughly  wicked,  and  God's  greatest 
enemy.  And  since  the  liar  is  a  child  of  the  devil,  and  re- 
sembles the  devil,  God  hates  the  liar  and  all  lying.  And 
therefore  God  so  severely  punishes  lying;  and  this,  even 
in  this  life.  A  child,  telling  his  first  lie,  blushes.  And 
when  his  lie  is  found  out,  he  is  ashamed.  No  one  wishes 
to  have  anything  to  do  with  a  lying  child.  When  he  wishes 
to  say  something,  usually  some  one  says  to  him :  "  Keep 
still,  you  are  a  liar."  People  do  not  believe  him  any  more, 
who  has  been  found  out  telling  a  lie.  This  is  a  punishment 
God  sends  him.  It  is  a  great  disgrace  to  be  a  liar,  for 
lying  is  the  sin  of  the  devil.  The  Roman  emperor 
Claudius  had  forbidden  liars  to  be  buried  after  their  death ; 
their  bodies  were  to  remain  exposed  in  the  fields  either 
to  rot  or  to  be  devoured  by  wild  beasts,  and  their  houses 
were  to  be  torn  down. 

But  God  punishes  lies  in  the  next  life.  How  many  chil- 
dren are  now  burning  in  purgatory  to  expiate  their  lies. 
Some  who  lied  in  matters  of  importance,  and  thus  did  great 
harm  to  their  neighbor,  are  even  burning  forever  in  hell ! 
Dear  children,  never  tell  a  lie,  even  if  you  could,  by  doing 
so,  acquire  millions  of  dollars !  We  must  never  tell  a  lie, 
however  small,  were  we  able  thereby  to  save  all  men  from 
death.     For  every  lie  is  a  sin,  and  we  are  never  allowed 


LYING  AND  FALSEHOOD  363 

wilfully  to  commit  the  least  sin,  for  we  would  offend  God 
thereby.  He  who  is  fond  of  telling  lies,  will  also  easily 
steal  and  become  a  thief. 

3.  Slander.  The  liar  is  wicked.  He  would  like  that 
others  should  be  looked  upon  as  wicked.  Therefore  he 
tells  lies  on  them.  In  this  manner  the  devil,  speaking  to 
Eve,  acted  against  God.  What  punishment  did  God 
threaten  against  our  first  parents,  if  they  would  eat  of  the 
forbidden  tree?  What  did  the  devil  say  about  it?  "By 
no  means."  This  meant :  "  It  is  not  true ;  you  shall  not 
die."  But  who  had  said  it  to  Adam  and  Eve?  Did  not 
the  devil  then  mean  that  God  had  told  them  a  lie?  Was 
not  that  the  same  as  calling  God  a  liar?  But  God  cannot 
lie,  and  does  not  lie.  Therefore  the  devil  slandered  God; 
that  is,  he  told  a  lie  about  Him.  Calumny  or  slander  is 
telling  a  lie  or  lies  about  some  one ;  or  falsely  accusing 
some  one  of  a  sin  he  did  not  commit.  It  is  a  sin.  It  is 
the  devil's  sin.  The  slanderer  is  a  child  of  the  devil ;  nay, 
he  is  himself  a  devil,  for  only  he  who  is  very  wicked  can 
accuse  of  something  bad,  wicked,  sinful,  him  who  is  per- 
fectly innocent.  Have  not  some  of  you  told  lies  on  your 
brothers  and  sisters,  on  your  schoolmates?  Have  you  not 
sometimes  accused  others  of  the  evil  you  yourselves 
had  committed?  What  kind  of  sin  did  you  commit  there- 
by? 

4.  Detraction  or  backbiting.  Who  knows  of  a  boy 
mentioned  in  Bible  History,  who  told  his  father  of  a  sin 
his  brothers  had  really  committed?  Joseph  of  Egypt. 
Why  did  Joseph  tell  his  father  about  his  brothers'  sin? 
He  wished  that  their  father  should  admonish  them :  "  That 
is  a  sin ;  you  must  never  do  it  again."  Had  he  also  an- 
other reason?  He  wished  that  they  should  never  do  it 
again,  and  that  they  should  behave  better.  What  were 
Joseph's  intentions  in  this?  Good.  For  what  purpose  are 
we  allowed  to  tell  the  faults  of  our  neighbor?  Who  have 
the  care  of  bringing  up  the  children  properly  and  of  pre- 


364  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT 

serving  them  from  sin?  Who  have  that  care  in  the  school. 
To  which  person  did  Joseph  make  known  the  fault  of  his 
brothers?  To  whom  are  you  allowed  and  even  obliged 
to  tell  the  faults  of  your  brothers  and  sisters?  And  the 
faults  of  your  schoolmates?  For  what  purpose?  There- 
fore you  must  tell  the  truth,  when  your  parents  ask  you 
concerning  the  behavior  or  misbehavior  of  your  brothers 
and  sisters.  In  like  manner,  a  school  boy  or  a  school  girl 
must  tell  the  truth  to  the  teacher,  when  the  teacher  inquires 
about  the  behavior  of  their  schoolmates. 

Charles  had  stolen  money  from  his  parents.  His  parents 
found  it  out;  but  no  one  else  knew  anything  about  it. 
Charles  is  punished  for  it  by  his  father.  Whilst  punish- 
ing Charles,  his  father  says  very  loud :  "  Oh,  that  I  should 
live  to  be  disgraced  by  my  boy,  who  has  become  a  thief! 
You  ought  to  be  put  in  jail,  for  thieves  belong  there,  or 
should  be  hanged.  Are  you  going  to  steal  again?  I  am 
going  to  knock  stealing  out  of  you,  you  thief !  Shame  on 
you  !  "  But  Charles  cries  aloud,  and  repeats  several  times : 
"  O  pa,  let  me  go,  I  will  never  do  it  again !  I  will  never 
steal  again  in  all  my  life."  At  last  Charles'  father  stops 
whipping  him.  But  Frank,  who  lived  next  door,  heard 
the  blows  and  all  that  Charles  and  his  father  had  said. 
Frank  was  so  glad,  for  he  was  mad  with  Charles;  Frank 
was  also  a  gossip  (talker).  And  so  he  went  around  to 
all  other  boys  and  related  with  great  pleasure  all  he  had 
heard.  Now  to  whom  would  Frank  have  been  allowed  to 
tell  the  fault  of  Charles?  And  for  what?  That  Charles 
should  amend.  But  there  was  no  necessity  for  Frank  do- 
ing this.  Why?  What  were  his  intentions  concerning 
Charles?  What  did  Charles'  fault  concern  strangers? 
Why  should  other  people  know  anything  about  it?  There 
was,  then,  no  necessity  for  Frank  to  make  known  to  stran- 
gers that  Charles  had  been  guilty  of  stealing.  Now  when 
Charles  goes  along,  the  other  children  cry  out :  "  The  thief 
is  coming !  "     And  no  one  will  go  with  him.     Many  say 


LYING  AND  FALSEHOOD  365 

to  him :  "  Get  out  of  here,  you  thief."  That  is  a  great 
disgrace  for  Charles. 

Suppose  Bertha  had  beautiful  long  hair;  she  would  let 
it  hang  down  her  back  in  fine  tresses  tied  with  a  red  rib- 
bon. It  enhanced  her  beauty.  But  one  day  Bertha  was 
asleep  on  a  bench  in  the  garden.  A  wicked  man  sneaked 
in  and  suddenly  cut  off  her  hair.  When  Bertha  re-entered 
her  house  and  looked  into  the  mirror,  she  began  to  cry, 
because  her  beautiful  tresses  were  gone,  and  she  looked 
so  changed,  and  almost  ugly.  Who  caused  such  a  change 
in  her  ?  How  ?  By  cutting  off  her  hair.  Now  let  us  go 
back  to  Charles.  He  had  previously  been  very  much  liked 
by  everybody.  Other  children  had  been  fond  of  his  com- 
pany, for  they  looked  upon  him  as  a  good,  honest  boy. 
That  was  an  honor  for  Charles.  But  how  did  they  after- 
wards look  upon  him  ?  How  they  blame  and  abuse  him ! 
What  do  they  now  do  when  he  comes  near  them?  They 
no  longer  have  any  regard  for  him.  He  has  lost  his 
good  name  (reputation)  with  them.  How  must  he  feel 
about  it?  What  will  he  probably  do  at  home  on  this  ac- 
count? Whose  fault  is  it,  if  Charles  has  lost  his  good 
name?  Frank  took  away  (cut  away)  his  good  name. 
How?  There  was  no  need  for  Frank  to  make  known  the 
fault  of  Charles  to  everybody,  and  thus  rob  him  of  his 
good  name  by  backbiting  him.  Detraction  (backbiting)  is 
sinful.  How  did  Frank  sin  against  Charles?  How  would 
Frank  like  it,  if  some  one  would  publish  his  faults  every- 
where ?  Remember :  "  What  you  do  not  wish  to  be  done 
to  you,  you  should  not  do  to  your  neighbor." 

III.  Connection.  Johnny  is  the  last  in  his  class.  He 
says:  "Two  times  two  are  three."  Is  that  true?  Does 
he  commit  a  sin  by  saying  so?  Why  not?  Rose,  as  we 
have  heard,  who  was  kept  in  after  school  and  came  home 
late,  gave  her  mother  as  an  excuse:  "I  was  playing." 
She,  therefore,  told  a  falsehood.  What  did  Rose  commit? 
Why?     When  is  a  falsehood  sinful?     WTho  is  a  liar,  Johnny 


366  EIGHTH  COMMANDMENT 

or  Rose?  Who  was  the  first  liar?  How  did  the  devil 
behave  outwardly  towards  Eve?  But  what  design  had  he 
in  his  heart?  Who  was  outwardly  friendly  towards  his 
brother?  Cain.  What  design  had  he  in  his  heart  against 
him?  What  do  we  call  those  who  outwardly  show  them- 
selves much  better  than  they  are  in  their  heart?  Hypo- 
crites. What,  then,  was  Cain?  How  did  Herod  act  the 
hypocrite  in  presence  of  the  wise  men?  Relate.  When 
Jesus  was  arrested  Judas  kissed  Him.  How  does  a  person 
feel  towards  the  one  he  kisses?  And  what  are  his  in- 
tentions towards  those  he  loves?  Good.  But  what  did 
Judas  feel  in  his  heart  towards  Jesus?  But  he  acted  as 
if  he  loved  Jesus  and  wished  Him  well.  What,  then,  was 
Judas?  What  were  the  brothers  of  Joseph  when  they 
showed  their  father  Joseph's  bloody  coat?  WTho  was  the 
first  hypocrite?  He  pretended  to  be  good.  Of  whom  did 
he  speak  evil?  He  therefore  slandered  God  Himself. 
How  did  Putiphar's  wife  slander  Joseph?  She  accused 
him  to  her  husband  of  a  crime  he  had  not  committed. 
Whom  did  Joseph  accuse  of  a  fault  which  they  really 
had  committed?  To  whom  Joseph  did  not  tell  it?  Why 
did  he  tell  it  to  his  father?  Why  did  he  not  tell  it  to 
strangers?  What  would  you  say,  if  Joseph  had  told  the 
fault  of  his  brothers  to  his  father,  in  order  to  get  them 
punished?  What  sin  would  Joseph  have  committed,  if  he 
had  related  the  fault  of  his  brothers  to  other  persons?  To 
whom  should  children  make  known  the  faults  of  their 
brothers  and  sisters?  The  faults  of  their  schoolmates? 
What  should  children  do  when  their  parents  and  teachers 
question  them  about  the  faults  of  their  companions  ?  What 
would  they  commit,  if  they  would  then  not  tell  the  truth? 
They  would  tell  a  lie. 

IV.  Summary.  When  does  a  person  sin  by  lying,  hy- 
pocrisy, slander  and  detraction?  Which  is  the  eighth  com- 
mandment? What  does  it  forbid?  Lies  and  hypocrisy, 
detraction  and  slander. 


LYING  AND  FALSEHOOD  367 

V.  Application,  i.  Let  us  learn  how  the  sins  against 
the  eighth  commandment  should  be  told.  Let  us  begin 
with  the  sins  of  the  devil.  What  sin  did  he  commit  when 
he  pretended  to  be  so  friendly  towards  Eve?  Hypocrisy. 
What  sin  did  he  commit  when  he  said :  "  You  shall  not 
die?"  He  told  a  lie.  What  sin,  when  he  said:  "You 
shall  be  like  God  "  ?  Another  lie.  He  also  made  believe 
that  God  had  lied  to  our  first  parents.  Wrhat  sin  was  that? 
Slander.  How  should  the  devil  tell  his  sins ?  "I  once 
acted  the  hypocrite,  told  two  lies,  and  slandered  once." 
James  said  to  Henry :  "  Go  and  see  in  your  neighbor's 
stable  a  young  calf  with  two  heads."  That  was  not  true, 
but  it  was  said  as  a  joke.  What  sin  did  James  commit? 
How  must  he  tell  that  sin  ?  "I  once  told  a  lie  in  a  joke  " 
(or  a  jocose  lie).  It  is  not  allowed  to  tell  jocose  lies. 
We  should  detest  even  the  smallest  lie.  Michael,  instead 
of  studying  his  lessons  at  home,  was  full  of  mischief.  The 
result  was  that  he  broke  a  pitcher.  Afraid  of  being  pun- 
ished, he  said  to  his  mother :  "  The  cat  has  knocked  the 
pitcher  down  and  broken  it."  What  sin  did  he  commit  by 
saying  that?  He  told  a  lie.  How  must  he  tell  that  sin? 
"  I  told  a  lie  to  escape  punishment."  Bertha  in  church 
pretends  to  be  praying.  She  holds  her  hands  joined  be- 
fore her  face;  but  in  reality  she  is  talking  to  the  girl  next 
to  her.  In  what  did  she  commit  sin?  How  must  she  tell 
it?  "I  once  acted  the  hypocrite."  Rose  is  envious  of 
Jane ;  she  says  to  the  teacher :  "  Jane  has  stolen."  But 
that  is  not  true.  But  the  teacher  believes  it  and  punishes 
Jane.  What  sin  did  Rose  commit?  How  must  she  tell 
it?  "I  slandered  my  schoolmate."  What  sin  did  Frank 
commit  in  telling  everybody  that  Charles  had  stolen?  How 
must  he  tell  it ?     "I  have  been  guilty  of  backbiting." 

2.  Dear  children,  promise  almighty  God :  "  I  will  al- 
ways tell  the  truth,  and  I  will  never  tell  a  lie."  If  you 
have  done  something  deserving  of  punishment,  you  should 
resolve  in  your  mind :     "  No,  I  will  not  tell  a  lie  about  it, 


368  TENTH  COMMANDMENT 

however  great  the  punishment  that  may  be  given  me." 
It  is  better  to  tell  the  truth,  and  be  punished  by  your 
parents  or  your  teachers,  than  to  lie  about  it,  and  be  pun- 
ished by  God  for  your  lie.  If  you  have  committed  a  fault, 
admit  it  openly  and  honorably :  "  Yes,  I  did  it."  A  child 
that  acts  thus,  acts  right,  and  is  more  easily  forgiven,  and 
either  will  not  be  punished  at  all,  or  only  slightly.  A 
child  that  committed  a  fault  and  lies  about  it,  deserves  a 
double  punishment.  Never  tell  a  lie,  even  when  no  one 
can  find  it  out.  But  God  knows  it.  If  any  of  you  have 
the  bad  habit  of  telling  lies,  you  should  resolve  every  morn- 
ing (at  prayer)  ;  "  I  will  not  tell  a  lie  to-day.  My  dear 
Saviour,  help  me."  And  whenever  you  catch  yourself  ly- 
ing, say :  "  My  God  forgive  me,  and  help  me  never  again 
to  tell  a  lie."  You  may  add  also  an  Our  Father  and  a 
Hail  Mary. 

How  to  confess  sins  against  the  eighth  commandment : 
I  told  lies ;  I  acted  the  hypocrite ;  I  was  guilty  of  back- 
biting. 

THE  TENTH  COMMANDMENT. 
18.  Unjust  Desires  of  our  Neighbor's  Property. 

I.  Preparation.  Mention  some  things  belonging  to 
you.  What  do  you  call  the  things  that  belong  to  you? 
My  property.  Mention  some  things  that  belong  to  our 
neighbor?  Money,  houses,  stores,  farms,  cattle,  etc.  How 
do  you  call  those  things  ?  Our  neighbor's  property.  Which 
is  the  seventh  commandment?  What  does  the  seventh 
commandment  forbid? 

Object.  I  will  show  you  to-day  that  it  is  already  a  sin 
to  wish  or  to  try  to  take  our  neighbor's  property. 

II.  Relation.  A  certain  boy  entered  a  house  to  fetch 
a  boy  to  school.  He  could  see  no  one  in  the  room,  but 
he  saw  a  basket  of  apples  on  the  window-sill.  '  What 
fine   apples,"   he   thought;   and   drew   near   to   them   very 


COVETOUS  THOUGHTS  369 

eagerly.  He  would  very  willingly  have  taken  one.  But, 
said  he  aloud,  "  No ;  that  would  not  be  right ;  I  am  not 
allowed  to  do  so.  Although  nobody  sees  me,  God  sees 
me,  for  He  sees  all  things."  The  boy  leaving  the  apples 
alone  was  about  to  go  away,  when  he  heard  a  voice  saying : 
"  Stop  !  Remain  here !  "  He  was  frightened,  hearing  this, 
and  more  so  yet  by  seeing  an  old  man  coming  to  him. 
The  old  man  said  to  him :  "  Be  not  afraid ;  you  are  a 
good  boy.  Because  you  think  of  God,  take  as  many  apples 
as  you  like.  And  remember  as  long  as  you  live  this  say- 
ing :     '  Even  when  alone,  never  do  anything  wrong.'  " 

Consideration  —  The  temptation.  Where  did  that  boy 
go?  What  for?  Did  he  see  any  person  in  the  room? 
What  did  he  see  on  the  window-sill?  Beautiful  rosy 
apples  that  made  his  mouth  water.  The  boy  thought: 
"  Would  that  they  would  give  me  one !  "  But  it  seemed 
that  no  one  was  there  to  give  him  one.  Then  an  evil 
thought  came  to  him.  What  was  it?  He  approached  the 
basket;  and  the  apples  looked  still  more  beautiful.  Has 
any  one  of  you  already  seen  such  fine  apples?  How  do 
such  apples  appear  the  longer  you  look  at  them?  What 
happened  to  Eve  the  longer  she  looked  at  the  forbidden 
fruit?  The  more  she  desired  it;  the  greater  was  her  long- 
ing for  it.  The  same  happened  to  that  boy.  How  did  he 
look  at  the  apples?  Eagerly.  And  what  did  the  devil 
suggest  to  him  ?  Steal  some.  If  those  apples  had  belonged 
to  his  father,  would  he  have  done  right  if  he  had  taken 
some?  But  to  whom  did  they  belong?  What  then  was  it 
wrong  for  him  to  do?  Which  commandment  forbids  the 
taking  of  another's  property?  The  seventh  commandment 
makes  it  unlawful  (forbids)  to  take  another's  property. 
What  does  he  commit  who  takes  another's  property?  A 
sin. 

The  Victory.  The  boy  had  not  yet  thought  of  that.  All 
at  once  he  reflects :  "  Stop ;  that  would  be  stealing,  a  sin ; 
and  it  would  be  wrong  for  me  to  do  it."     But  the  devil  sug- 


370  TENTH  COMMANDMENT 

gested :  "  But  nobody  sees  you !  "  But  his  guardian  angel 
suggests  something  else  to  him ;  and  the  boy  says  it  to  him- 
self half  aloud.  Who  knows  what  he  said?  Then  what 
was  the  boy  about  to  do?  What  words  did  he  suddenly 
hear  spoken  behind  him?  The  boy  thought  there  was  no- 
body in  the  room.  Where  had  that  old  man  (grandfather) 
been  ?  Therefore  the  boy  had  not  seen  him.  In  the  mean- 
time the  old  man  had  watched  to  see  what  the  boy  would  do. 

The  reward.  How  greatly  must  the  boy  have  been 
frightened  when  the  old  man  addressed  him!  What  espe- 
cially frightened  him?  The  thought  that  the  old  man 
thought  he  had  intended  to  steal.  Tell  me  what  the  old 
man  said  to  him.  Why  did  he  call  the  boy  a  good  child? 
What  thought  kept  the  boy  from  stealing?  How  did  the 
old  man  reward  him?     How  glad  did  the  boy  then  feel? 

III.  Connection.  That  boy  deserved  the  reward  he 
received.  What  did  he  deserve  it  for?  How  did  it  hap- 
pen that  he  did  not  take  any  apples,  although  he  eagerly 
desired  some?  He  thought  that  God  forbade  it.  Who  had 
once  a  great  longing  for  a  forbidden  fruit?  Eve  also  re- 
membered that  God  had  forbidden  her  to  eat  of  it.  From 
which  of  her  words  do  we  know  that?  But  what  did  the 
devil  say  to  her?  And  what  did  the  devil  suggest  to  the 
boy  ?  But  how  did  the  boy  overcome  his  suggestion  ?  And 
what  was  the  boy  about  to  do?  But  Eve  was  not  so  much 
afraid.  And  what  did  she  do?  She  remained,  and  con- 
tinued to  look  at  the  fruit.  And  what  effect  did  that  have 
on  her?  It  increased  her  desire  for  the  fruit,  and  made 
her  think:  "How  fine  is  that  fruit;  I  will  just  take  one, 
even  if  it  is  forbidden."  And  what  did  she  then  do?  The 
evil  deed  followed  the  evil  desire.  Evil  or  bad  desires 
are  therefore  forbidden  and  sinful. 

Did  our  first  parents  commit  sin  by  eating  of  the  fruits 
of  the  other  trees?  Why  not?  Therefore  they  were  al- 
lowed also  to  desire  them.  What  should  we  say  about 
that  boy's  desire,  had  he  wished  to  take  apples  from  his 


COVETOUS  THOUGHTS  371 

father's  tree?  Why?  If  he  had  desired  that  some  of  his 
neighbors  would  give  him  some  of  their  apples,  would 
his  desire  have  been  good  or  bad?  But  if  he  had  wished  for 
a  chance  to  steal  apples  from  his  neighbor?  Why?  He 
would  have  sinned  against  the  tenth  commandment : 
"  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  goods."  What  do 
you  say  about  desires  or  the  intention  to  get  our  neighbor's 
goods  by  stealing,  robbery,  or  cheating?  When  are  desires 
of  our  neighbor's  goods  sinful  and  forbidden?  When  are 
they  allowed  and  not  sinful? 

IV.  Summary.  The  tenth  commandment,  "Thou  shalt 
not  covet  thy  neighbor's  goods,"  forbids  all  sinful  desires 
of  our  neighbor's  goods.  Summary  of  the  last  seven  com- 
mandments. What  is  forbidden  by  the  tenth  command- 
ment ?  To  desire  or  try  to  take  away  any  of  our  neighbor's 
property.  W'hich  commandment  forbids  the  unjust  taking 
away  of  our  neighbor's  property?  Which  commandment 
forbids  the  taking  away  of  our  neighbor's  honor?  Which 
commandment  forbids  the  taking  away  of  the  life  of  our 
neighbor's  body  and  of  his  soul?  What  does  he  lack  who 
robs  his  neighbor  of  his  good  name,  chastity,  life,  etc.? 
He  lacks  love  for  his  neighbor.  What  does  he  possess  who 
never  injures  his  neighbor  in  his  good  name,  life,  chastity 
and  property?  Who  are  our  nearest  neighbor?  Our 
parents,  brothers  and  sisters.  What  do  children  owe  to 
their  parents?  What  do  children  prove,  who  perform  all 
they  owe  to  their  parents?  Which  commandment  pre- 
scribes these  duties  to  children?  What  do  all  the  com- 
mandments from  the  fourth  to  the  tenth  inclusive  concern? 
Our  duties  towards  our  neighbor.  These  commandments 
tell  us  what  the  love  of  our  neighbor  requires  us  to  do 
and  to  avoid.  Which  commandment  briefly  commands  us 
to  love  our  neighbor?  In  which  commandment,  therefore, 
are  the  seven  commandments  included?  In  the  command- 
ment of  the  love  of  our  neighbor. 

V.  Application,     i.  Let  us  hear  something  about  a  few 


372  TENTH  COMMANDMENT 

other  boys  who  coveted  their  neighbor's  goods.  Paul  would 
like  to  get  cherries  from  his  neighbor's  cherry  tree.  But 
the  watchman  is  near,  and  therefore  he  is  afraid  to  climb 
the  tree.  What  kind  of  desire  has  he?  How  must  he  tell 
his  sin?  "I  had  a  desire  to  steal  my  neighbor's  fruit." 
Frank  would  like  to  steal  money  from  his  mother.  He 
looked  everywhere  for  the  key  of  the  money-drawer,  but 
could  not  find  it.  Did  he  commit  a  sin?  How  should 
he  tell  it?  "I  intended  to  steal  money  from  my  mother." 
Fred  was  looking  at  his  neighbor's  beautiful  pears.  He 
said :  "  If  I  were  only  allowed  to  go  in  and  get  some." 
What  do  you  say  about  his  desire?  Henry  looking  at  a 
pile  of  fine  apples  in  his  neighbor's  house,  thought  to  him- 
self :  "  If  those  apples  were  ours,  I  would  eat  my  fill  of 
them."  What  do  you  say  about  his  desire?  Jane  saw 
Alary  with  a  handsome  new  dress.  She  said :  "  Oh,  if  I 
only  had  that  dress!"  What  do  you  think  of  her  desire? 
John  has  a  fine  gold  watch,  a  birthday  present  from  his 
rich  uncle.  He  is  proud  of  it  and  shows  it  to  all  his 
companions ;  and  every  one  of  them  says  in  his  heart :  "  I 
wish  I  had  that  watch."  But  Henry  says :  "  I  wish  I 
had  one  like  it."     What  do  you  think  of  these  desires? 

2.  Dear  children,  the  devil  many  a  time  comes  to  you, 
and  suggests  some  evil  to  you ;  he  does  this  especially  when 
you  are  alone.  You  should  then  remember  the  old  man's 
saying  to  the  boy.  What  is  that  saying?  Who  is  every- 
where with  you?  When  you  commit  a  sin,  you  offend 
God,  and  God  will  punish  you  for  it.  When  the  devil 
tries  to  lead  you  into  sin,  imitate  the  boy  I  told  you  about. 
What  did  the  devil  suggest  to  the  boy  ?  "  Only  take  one ; 
no  one  sees  you."  W'hat  did  the  boy  then  do  ?  You  should 
do  the  same.     You  may  also  say  a  prayer,  or  sing  a  hymn. 

3.  You  should  not  even  make  such  wishes  as  these: 
"  If  I  only  had  as  fine  a  hat  as  N. ;  if  I  only  had  as  much 
money  as  N. ;  if  I  should  only  get  as  costly  presents  as  N." 
...  Be  good;  obey  your  parents  faithfully;  be  diligent; 


COVETOUS  THOUGHTS  373 

be  honest ;  say  well  your  daily  prayers,  be  pure  and  chaste, 
be  patient  and  kind  towards  all,  keep  from  grievous  sin, 
then  God  will  love  you,  and  everybody  will  love  you.  You 
shall  then  be  useful  everywhere,  and  all  will  be  well  with 
you  on  earth,  and  in  heaven  all  your  desires  will  be  fully 
satisfied. 

How  to  confess  sins  against  the  tenth  commandment:     I 
desired,  intended,  tried  to  steal. 


PART  III 
THE  SACRAMENTS 


THE  SACRAMENTS 
1.  The  Sacraments  in  general. 

1.  Object.  I  will  relate  to  you  to-day  what  Jesus  did,  in 
order  to  enable  men  to  go  to  heaven. 

2.  Relation.  In  the  beginning  of  the  world  there 
flowed  from  the  heart  of  God  the  Father  a  fountain  of 
graces.  God  caused  those  graces  to  flow  into  the  hearts  of 
Adam  and  Eve.  Grace  surrounded  the  souls  of  our  first 
parents  like  a  white  garment  and  made  them  holy.  It  was 
the  white  garment  of  sanctifying  grace.  By  means  of  this 
white  garment  Adam  and  Eve  became  children  of  God. 
They  lived  good  and  happy  in  the  earthly  paradise,  and 
were  never  to  die. 

But  Adam  and  Eve  sinned.  Then  God  closed  the  foun- 
tain of  grace  in  His  heart,  and  grace  ceased  to  flow  into 
the  hearts  of  our  first  parents.  Therefore  Adam  and  Eve 
lost  the  white  garment  of  sanctifying  grace ;  and  sin  entered 
their  souls,  and  defiled  their  souls  and  made  them  horrible. 
Now  Adam  and  Eve  were  no  longer  children  of  God.  And 
because  all  men  are  children  of  Adam  and  Eve,  they  all 
have  lost  the  garment  of  santifying  grace  and  inherited  sin. 
Heaven  was  closed  against  them,  and  remained  so  for  four 
thousand  years. 

Then  God  sent  His  Son  from  heaven  upon  the  earth  to 
take  away  sin  from  us  and  to  open  again  the  fountain  of 
grace.  To  effect  this  the  Son  of  God  had  to  suffer  more 
than  we  can  tell  during  His  whole  life.  Already  in  the 
stable  of  Bethlehem  He  began  to  suffer  for  us.  Finally 
our  Saviour  was  arrested.  The  soldiers  mocked  Him,  spit 
upon  Him,  beat  Him  in  the  face  with  their  fists.     Then  they 

377 


378  THE  SACRAMENTS 

scourged  Him  with  whips  so  cruelly  that  they  tore  not  only 
His  skin,  but  even  His  very  flesh  to  the  bones.  Jesus  wept 
for  pain,  and  His  tears  and  blood  flowed  down  together  to 
the  ground.  Then  they  placed  on  His  sacred  head  a  fright- 
ful crown  of  long,  sharp  and  stiff  thorns,  like  nails,  and  beat 
it  with  sticks  to  drive  the  thorns  deep  into  His  head;  and 
much  blood  ran  down  His  face.  Jesus  suffered  the  most  on 
Mount  Calvary.  The  executioners  drove  through  His 
hands  and  feet  thick  nails.  And  Jesus  hung  on  the  cross 
by  His  hands  and  feet  for  three  hours  until  His  death. 
Finally,  a  soldier,  with  his  spear,  pierced  the  side  of  Jesus 
into  His  very  heart,  and  from  the  wound  there  flowed  out 
all  the  blood  that  was  left  in  Him.  And  when  His  precious 
blood  flowed  out  of  His  pierced  hands,  feet  and  side,  the 
fountain  of  grace  was  again  opened. 

Consideration,  a.  The  flowing  of  grace.  What  was  it 
that  flowed  in  the  beginning  of  the  world  from  the  heart  of 
God  the  Father?  Grace  sanctifies,  and,  therefore,  how  is  it 
called?  Santifying  grace.  Where  did  God  cause  His  grace 
to  flow?  What  effects  did  it  produce  in  the  souls  of  our 
first  parents?  This  grace  penetrated  their  souls  through 
and  through  and  surrounded  them  as  with  a  spotless  white 
garment.  How  is  this  garment  called?  The  white  gar- 
ment of  sanctifying  grace. 

b.  The  closed  fountain  of  grace.  This  fountain  of  grace 
did  not  flow  continually.  What  happened  to  it  when  Adam 
and  Eve  sinned?  God  the  Father  closed  the  fountain  of 
grace  in  His  heart.  W'here  then  did  it  cease  flowing? 
What  did  Adam  and  Eve  lose  in  their  souls?  And  what 
entered  their  souls  instead?  What  did  their  souls  become 
through  sin?  Whose  children  did  they  then  cease  to  be? 
What  then  happened  to  heaven  ?  Who  inherited  the  sin  of 
Adam  and  Eve  ?  What  garment  is  therefore  wanting  to  the 
soul  of  every  man?  W7here  could  no  man  enter?  How 
long  did  this  last? 

c.  'Jesus  suffering  for  us.     Whom  did  God  send  after  this 


GRACE  379 

on  earth  to  our  help  ?  His  Son.  What  had  the  Son  of  God 
to  do  for  us?  When  did  He  begin  to  suffer  for  us?  What 
did  Jesus  suffer  for  us?  He  suffered  more  than  we  can 
tell  for  us  during  His  whole  life.  Finally,  He  was  arrested, 
mocked,  spit  upon,  cruelly  scourged,  crowned  with  thorns 
and  finally  nailed  to  a  cross.  On  what  was  our  Saviour 
laid  at  His  crucifixion  ?  That  was  a  hard  bed  indeed.  And 
hard  it  must  have  been  for  Jesus  to  lie  on  it,  for  His  back 
had  been  torn  by  the  scourging.  What  was  then  done  to 
Jesus?  What  fearful  pains  He  must  have  felt  when  those 
dreadful  nails  were  driven  through  His  hands  and  feet  into 
the  cross !  Blood  flowed  from  His  back,  blood  flowed  over 
His  face.  What  caused  the  blood  to  flow  over  his  face? 
And  blood  flowed  from  His  hands  and  feet.  How  long  did 
Jesus  hang  on  the  cross?  Then  His  soul  left  His  body; 
our  Saviour  was  dead.  What  fresh  wound  did  a  soldier 
then  inflict  on  His  body?  It  was  then  that  our  Saviour  shed 
the  last  drop  of  His  blood  for  us. 

d.  The  fountain  of  grace  opened  again.  At  that  moment 
God  the  Father  opened  again  the  fountain  of  grace  from 
His  heart,  and  grace  again  began  to  flow.  Jesus  had  de- 
served this  by  His  bitter  passion  and  death.  Grace  flowed 
from  the  heart  of  God  the  Father  into  the  heart  of  His 
Son,  and  flowed  from  the  heart  of  the  Son  together  with 
His  blood.  This  blood  flows  with  grace  in  seven  streamlets 
from  the  cross.  These  seven  little  streams  are  the  seven 
holy  sacraments. 

e.  Grace  is  distributed  in  the  seven  sacraments  by  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Our  Saviour  has  commanded  that  grace 
should  be  dispensed  to  men  through  the  seven  sacraments. 
Therefore  we  say  that  our  Saviour  instituted  seven  sacra- 
ments. From  these  seven  sacraments  the  Holy  Ghost 
directs  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  into  our  soul.  What  did 
I  say  is  contained  in  the  blood  of  Jesus?  Grace.  What, 
then,  does  the  Holy  Ghost  direct  into  our  soul  by  means  of 
the  seven  sacraments?     Grace.     Who  has  deserved  grace 


380  THE  SACRAMENTS 

for  us?  Jesus  Christ.  He  is  God.  What,  then,  is  grace 
called,  as  coming  from  God?  Divine  Grace.  And  this 
grace  again  enables  us  to  go  to  heaven. 

3.  Connection.  Which  of  the  three  divine  persons 
closed  the  fountain  of  grace?  God  the  Father.  When? 
When  Adam  and  Eve  sinned.  Who  opened  again  the  foun- 
tain of  grace?  God  the  Son.  When?  When  He  suffered 
and  died  for  us  on  the  cross.  Who  distributes  grace  ?  The 
Holy  Ghost?  By  what  means?  Through  the  seven  sacra- 
ments. 

4.  Summary.  Who,  then,  has  deserved  grace  for  us? 
Jesus  Christ.  By  what  means?  By  His  passion  and  death. 
Whence  does  grace  flow?  From  the  heart  of  Jesus.  In 
what  is  grace  contained?  In  the  blood  of  Jesus.  In  how 
many  streamlets  does  the  blood  of  Jesus  flow  from  the 
cross?  In  seven  little  streams.  Which  are  these  seven 
little  streams  ?  The  seven  sacraments.  Who  instituted  the 
sacraments?  Jesus  Christ.  Who  distributes  grace?  The 
Holy  Ghost?  By  what  means?  By  means  of  the  seven 
sacraments. 

5.  Application,  i.  Never  forget  what  our  Saviour  did 
for  you.  After  the  sin  of  our  first  parents  the  devil  re- 
joiced and  prepared  for  each  of  you  a  little  place  in  hell. 
But  the  Son  of  God  came  down  upon  the  earth  to  redeem 
you.  Do  not  forget  how  much  this  cost  Him.  He  had  to 
suffer  cruelly  and  die  for  you.  Think  on  this  when  you 
recite  the  sorrowful  mysteries  of  the  rosary  that  Jesus 
sweat  blood  for  us,  that  He  was  scourged  for  us,  crowned 
with  thorns  for  us,  carried  His  cross  for  us,  and  was  nailed 
to  it  and  died  on  it  for  us.  Let  each  one  think  that  Jesus 
suffered  all  this  for  him.  2.  On  Good  Friday  a  large  cross 
with  the  image  of  Jesus  on  it  is  laid  down  before  the  altar 
in  the  church.  The  faithful  come  to  venerate  it ;  they  kneel 
down,  pray  to  Jesus  crucified  for  us,  and  kiss  the  wounds 
of  His  hands,  feet  and  side.  They  do  this  on  Good  Friday, 
the  day  on  which  He  died  for  us.     Often  the  mother  takes 


BAPTISM  381 

her  little  children  with  her  to  teach  them  this  act  of  venera- 
tion towards  Jesus  crucified.  As  you  are  now  big  enough, 
you  are  able  to  go  by  yourselves  to  adore  our  Lord  and 
lovingly  to  kiss  His  sacred  wounds.  You  should  then  say : 
"  O  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  I  thank  Thee  for  having  deigned  to 
die  for  me.  Do  not,  I  beseech  Thee,  let  Thy  blood  and 
Thy  suffering  be  lost  for  me." 


2.  Baptism. 

Object.  I  will  show  you  to-day,  how  a  man  becomes  a 
child  of  God. 

1.  Preparation.  What  do  you  call  a  child,  whose  father 
and  mother  are  dead?  An  orphan.  Who  is  an  orphan 
here?  Orphans  usually  get  strangers  as  parents.  What 
are  these  parents  called?  Foster-parents.  A  certain  king 
once  found  an  orphan  in  his  travels.  The  orphan  was 
dirty,  its  clothes  were  torn,  and  it  was  crying  bitterly.  Out 
of  compassion  the  king  took  the  orphan  child  along  into  his 
palace.  What  was  done  first  with  that  dirty  child?  What 
did  the  washing  remove  from  that  child?  The  dirt.  And 
it  could  not  keep  its  torn  clothes.  What  kind  of  clothes 
was  given  to  it  by  the  king?  That  child  now  looked  like  a 
king's  child,  so  nice  it  was.  And  the  king  was  so  pleased 
with  it,  that  he  took  it  to  be  like  his  child.  But  the  king 
had  a  child  of  his  own;  that  was  his  own  real  child.  But 
the  king,  as  I  said,  took  that  orphan  child  as  his  own  child. 
What  kind  of  child  was  the  orphan  child  to  the  king?  An 
adopted  child.  What  were  the  two  children  in  relation  to 
the  king?  One  was  his  real  child,  and  the  other  was  his 
adopted  child.  Whose  children  were  our  first  parents  be- 
fore their  sin?  God's  children.  After  their  sin?  The 
devil's.  Wrhose  children  are  all  men  so  long  as  they  are 
stained  with  original  sin?  I  will  now  tell  you  how  men 
become  God's  children  by  means  of  baptism. 

2.  Relation.     When  you  were  born  your  soul  was  de- 


382  BAPTISM 

filed  by  original  sin.  It  was  dirty  and  ugly.  God  would 
not  look  at  your  soul  and  could  have  no  love  for  you. 

He  who  wishes  to  be  cleansed  from  original  sin,  must  be 
baptized.  For  our  Saviour  said  to  His  apostles :  "  Go  into 
the  whole  world,  teach  all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost."  Therefore  your  parents  sought  for  you  a  god- 
father and  a  godmother,  and  these  took  you  to  the  church. 
The  priest  came  to  meet  you  already  at  the  door.  Then 
he  took  you  to  the  baptistery;  there  he  poured  water  on 
your  head,  saying :  "  I  baptize  thee  in  the  name  of  the 
Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  And 
whilst  the  priest  was  pouring  water  on  your  head,  a  wonder- 
ful thing  took  place  in  your  soul.  The  Holy  Ghost  came 
into  your  soul,  washed  away  from  it  original  sin,  and  puri- 
fied and  adorned  your  soul  with  the  white  garment  of  sancti- 
fying grace.  Now  your  soul  was  beautiful  and  bright,  and 
you  became  children  of  God.  The  angels,  full  of  joy, 
looked  upon  you,  saying :  "  See  how  bright  is  the  soul  of 
that  child!  She  now  wears  the  garment  of  the  children 
of  God."  Other  angels  said :  "  It  is  a  pity  that  this  child 
is  not  in  heaven  with  us."  Others  also  said :  "  Do  you 
not  see  what  God  intends  to  do?  Because  this  child  has 
become  also  a  child  of  God,  our  good  God  wishes  to  take  it 
at  once  into  heaven." 

So  beautiful  was  your  soul  after  baptism  !  It  is  true,  that 
this  could  not  be  seen  from  your  body.  But  in  order  that 
there  might  be  some  external  mark  of  this,  the  priest,  after 
baptizing  you,  laid  over  you  a  white  garment,  saying: 
"  Take  this  white  garment  and  bring  it  unstained  to  the 
judgment-seat  of  God."  You  were  then  joyfully  brought 
home  to  your  parents  delighted  at  your  being  cleansed  from 
sin  and  being  made  children  of  God.  The  day  of  your 
baptism  was  indeed  beautiful ! 

Consideration,  a.  What  baptism  removes.  With  what 
was  your  soul  defiled  when  you  were  born?     With  original 


BAPTISM  383 

sin.  What  did  the  king  order  to  be  done  to  the  orphan 
child  that  was  covered  with  dirt?  What  did  the  washing 
remove?  As  your  soul  was  denied  with  original  sin  when 
you  were  born,  your  soul  had  to  be  washed.  Who  com- 
manded it?  To  whom  did  He  say  it?  With  what  words? 
Therefore  your  parents  procured  godparents  for  you. 
Whither  did  they  take  you?  Who  came  to  meet  you  at  the 
door  of  the  Church?  Where  did  he  bring  you  to?  And 
tell  me  what  did  the  priest  do  there?  What  words  did  he 
say  in  doing  so?  Your  head  was  washed  by  the  water  the 
priest  poured  on  it.  But  the  child  that  is  baptized  has  not 
its  body  dirty,  but  where  is  it  dirty  ?  The  soul  of  the  child 
must  be  cleansed.  Therefore  the  Holy  Ghost  descended 
into  your  soul  at  baptism.  And  whilst  the  priest  externally 
washed  your  head,  the  Holy  Ghost  washed  your  soul  in- 
ternally. With  what  was  your  soul  defiled.  The  Holy 
Ghost  washed  it  away.  And  now  in  what  state  is  your 
soul?     Pure,  cleansed. 

Many  grown  up  people  are  not  yet  baptized.  With  what 
is  their  soul  still  defiled?  With  original  sin.  And  prob- 
ably such  a  grown  up  person  has  committed  actual  sins, 
for  instance,  by  lying,  getting  angry,  detraction,  etc.  How 
can  his  soul  be  cleansed  from  original  sin?  His  actual  sins 
also  are  forgiven  by  baptism.  Which  sins  does  baptism 
wash  away?  Original  sin  and  all  actual  sins  previously 
committed.     By  baptism  we  are  cleansed  from  every  sin. 

b.  What  baptism  confers,  or  gives.  1.  After  the  orphan 
child  was  cleansed,  it  could  no  longer  wear  its  torn  clothes. 
With  what  kind  of  clothes  did  the  king  present  it?  In 
baptism  your  soul  received  from  God  the  Holy  Ghost  a 
beautiful  white  garment.  To  whom  did  God  for  the  first 
time  give  for  their  souls  such  a  beautiful  white  garment? 
And  all  men  through  their  sin  lost  the  beautiful  white  gar- 
ment of  sanctifying  grace.  Who  has  deserved  this  grace 
again  for  us?  By  what  means  do  we  receive  grace?  By 
the     sacraments.     Who     dispenses,     or     imparts,     grace? 


384  BAPTISM 

Wherefore  the  Holy  Ghost  brought  in  baptism  grace  into 
your  soul.  And  grace  enveloped  your  soul  like  a  beautiful 
white  garment.  How  is  this  garment  called?  What  does 
baptism  impart  to  the  soul?  Baptism  imparts  to  the  soul 
sanctifying  grace.  This  garment  makes  the  soul  as  beauti- 
ful and  as  holy  as  an  angel.  It  shines  as  bright  as  the  sun. 
Therefore  God  is  delighted  with  it.  Also  that  orphan  child 
in  its  new  dress  greatly  pleased  the  king.  How  did  the 
king  show  his  pleasure  therein?  He  adopted  the  orphan 
as  his  child.  God  does  the  same  to  you,  when  your  soul 
is  adorned  with  sanctifying  grace.  God  adopts  you  as  His 
children.  What  may  we  call  Him,  since  we  are  His  chil- 
dren ?  Father.  Whose  children  do  we  become  by  baptism  ? 
By  baptism  we  become  children  of  God. 

c.  Where  does  God  dwell?  Our  soul  is  destined  to  go 
there  after  our  death.  With  what  must  it  then  be  adorned  ? 
With  what  it  should  not  be  defiled?  Which  souls  are  not 
admitted  into  heaven?  By  what  means  is  the  soul  cleansed 
from  original  sin?  Which  sacrament  is  then  necessary  for 
all  men  in  order  to  go  to  heaven  ?  Which  sacrament  must, 
therefore,  be  received  first?  Baptism  is  the  first  and  most 
necessary  sacrament. 

3.  Connection.  What  does  baptism  remove  from  our 
soul?  What  does  baptism  impart  to  our  soul?  Whose 
children  do  we  thereby  become?  How  may  we  then  call 
God?  Before  baptism  you  have  only  one  father.  How 
many  fathers  have  you  now?  Name  them.  An  earthly 
father  and  a  heavenly  Father.  Which  is  your  real  father? 
Which  Father  has  adopted  you  as  His  children?  God  the 
Father  has  also  a  real  Son.  Of  whom  did  God  the  Father 
say :  "  This  is  My  well-beloved  Son."  When  ?  And  what 
did  Jesus  say  on  the  Mount  of  Olives  when  He  began  to 
pray  to  God  ?  "  Father."  How  then  may  you  with  Jesus 
address  God  in  heaven?  In  which  prayer  do  you  call  God 
Father?  In  the  Our  Father.  What  are  those  children  to 
each  other  who  have  one  and  the  same  father?     Brothers 


BAPTISM  385 

and    sisters.     What    is    therefore    Jesus    to    you?    Our 
Brother. 

4.  The  summary  may  be  expressed  thus:  The  first  and 
most  necessary  sacrament  is  baptism,  which  cleanses  us  from 
all  sins  and  makes  us  children  of  God.  With  what  words 
did  Jesus  command  baptism  to  be  given? 

5.  Application,  i.  How  happy  were  Adam  and  Eve  as 
long  as  they  preserved  the  white  garment  of  grace !  God 
was  pleased  with  them,  and  everything  went  on  well  with 
them.  But  they  ate  the  forbidden  fruit.  By  this  sin  they 
lost  the  white  garment  of  grace  and  ceased  to  be  children 
of  God.  They  were  expelled  from  paradise.  Weeping, 
Adam  and  Eve  looked  back  towards  paradise,  and  they 
could  no  more  return  to  it.  2.  It  was  not  difficult  to  lose 
the  white  garment  of  grace,  for  they  had  only  to  commit 
one  sin.  But  to  regain  it  was  very  difficult.  For  this  the 
Son  of  God  had  to  come  upon  the  earth.  You  know  how 
painfully  and  bitterly  He  had  to  suffer  and  die  for  us. 

But  now  we  are  again  children  of  God.  Have  you  ever 
thought  how  rich  and  happy  you  are  in  being  children  of 
God?  How  happy  was  that  orphan  child  in  becoming 
the  king's  child !  But  which  is  it  happier  to  be,  a  king's 
child  or  God's  child?  A  child  of  God  is  far  more 
happy  and  rich  than  a  king's  child.  But  be  careful  to  re- 
main children  of  God  and  to  preserve  the  white  garment 
of  grace.  How  easily  you  could  lose  it.  How  did  Adam 
and  Eve  lose  it?  Yes,  by  only  one  mortal  sin  you  could 
lose  it.  Who  caused  Adam  and  Eve  to  lose  it?  The  devil 
will  also  try  to  lead  you  to  sin.  Often  does  he  suggest  to 
you  to  do  evil,  to  disobey,  to  get  angry,  to  lie,  to  steal,  to  be 
immodest  and  impure.  Do  not  listen  to  him.  Remember 
the  boy  near  the  basket  of  apples.  What  saying  did  he  re- 
member? Remember  it  also.  Who  also  saw  Adam  and 
Eve  sinning?  Who  saw  Cain  sinning,  killing  his  brother? 
Who  sees  you  also?  Pray  to  your  guardian  angel  to  help 
you  to  keep  out  of  ^in.     3.  If  you  are  thus  on  your  guard 


386  CONFIRMATION 

against  sin,  and  pray  well  every  day,  study  diligently,  obey 
and  help  your  parents  at  home,  then  the  garment  of  your 
soul  will  grow  daily  more  beautiful  and  bright,  and  you  will 
always  please  God  more  and  more.  And  when  death  comes, 
your  soul  adorned  with  sanctifying  grace  shall  take  its  flight 
to  heaven. 

3.  Confirmation. 

Object.  I  will  teach  you  to-day  how  we  are  strength- 
ened by  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  sacrament  of  Confirmation. 

1.  Preparation,  i.  Our  divine  Saviour  taught  all  that 
we  must  know  and  do  to  reach  heaven.  Why  is  it  that  our 
Saviour  can  tell  it  to  us  best  of  all?  Because  He  is  God. 
But  what  God  says  is  true.  Therefore  we  believe  it.  But 
God  wills  that  we  should  show  our  faith  to  men.  Suppose 
you  knew  a  certain  thing  and  wished  that  your  teacher  also 
should  know  it.  How  would  you  act?  Tell  it  to  him. 
Now  you  wish  others  to  know  what  you  believe  about  God. 
What  must  you  do?  How  can  people  find  out  what  you 
believe  about  God?  I  must  tell  them.  When  you  tell 
what  you  believe,  then  you  make  known  your  faith  to  others, 
that  is,  you  profess  your  faith.  When,  therefore,  can 
people  say  to  you :  "  You  profess  your  faith  "  ?  I  profess 
my  faith  when  I  tell  what  I  believe.  In  what  prayer  do 
you  say  or  profess  what  you  believe  about  God ;  for  in- 
stance, that  God  is  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  earth?  In 
the  Apostles'  Creed.  Why  is  it  thus  called?  Because  it  is 
a  profession  of  the  faith  preached  by  the  apostles  according 
to  the  command  of  our  divine  Saviour.  Is  there  not  a 
sign  whereby  we  profess  our  faith? 

2.  It  is  not  enough  to  profess  our  faith  with  our  words, 
we  must  so  live  as  our  faith  directs.  A  certain  child  does 
nothing  but  good.  He  prays,  goes  to  church,  is  always 
obedient.  What  kind  of  life  does  he  lead?  A  good  life. 
Another  child  does  much  evil ;  he  curses,  lies  and  steals. 
What  kind  of  life  does  he  lead?     A  bad  life.     Who  teaches 


CONFIRMATION  387 

us  that  we  must  lead  a  good  life  to  go  to  heaven?  He, 
therefore,  who  does  good,  leads  the  life  that  faith  directs 
or  prescribes,  that  is,  a  life  in  accordance  with  faith,  or  a 
life  of  faith.     When  do  you  lead  a  life  of  faith? 

3.  Who  first  believed  in  our  Saviour?  But  the  apostles 
did  not  always  believe  firmly.  Wrhich  of  the  apostles  had 
once  to  answer  whether  he  knew  Jesus?  Who  can  relate 
this?  What  did  the  maid  servant  ask  him?  What  did 
Peter  answer?  What  was  it  that  he  did  not  prof  ess  ?  His 
faith.  Why  did  he  not  profess  his  faith,  and  told  the  maid 
servant  a  lie?  Why  did  the  apostles  run  away  when  Jesus 
was  arrested?  Why  had  they  locked  the  doors  after  the 
resurrection  of  Jesus?  What  were  the  apostles  when  they 
were  so  afraid?     Timid. 

Object.  I  will  tell  you  to-day  how  the  apostles  were 
strengthened  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

II.  Relation.  On  the  tenth  day  after  the  Ascension  of 
Jesus  to  heaven  the  apostles  were  assembled  in  Jerusalem 
in  the  Supper-room  praying.  The  doors  were  closed. 
Suddenly  there  came  a  sound  from  heaven  as  of  a  mighty 
wind.  And  there  appeared  tongues  as  of  fire  over  the 
heads  of  the  apostles.  And  they  were  all  filled  with  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  they  began  to  speak  in  various  languages. 
At  the  sound  of  that  mighty  wind  people  hastened  from  all 
directions  to  the  house  where  the  apostles  were.  The 
apostles  at  once  opened  the  door  and  went  out.  And  St. 
Peter  began  to  preach,  saying :  "  Jesus,  whom  you  cruci- 
fied, is  risen  from  the  dead,  and  is  seated  at  the  right  hand 
of  God."  Many  believed  and  were  baptized.  The  chief 
priests  forbade  St.  Peter  and  the  other  apostles  to  preach 
again  about  Jesus.  But  St.  Peter  preached  again,  and  said 
firmly :  "  Jesus  commanded  us  to  preach  ;  and  we  are  bound 
to  obey  God  rather  than  men."  And  he  preached  again. 
Then  Peter  and  the  other  apostles  were  put  into  prison. 
The  judges  ordered  them  to  be  scourged,  and  most  severely 
forbade  them  to  preach  any  more  about  Jesus.     But  the 


388  CONFIRMATION 

apostles  paid  no  attention  to  the  prohibition,  and  rejoiced  at 
being  thought  worthy  to  suffer  for  Jesus.  And  when  they 
were  released,  they  preached  again,  saying :  "  Jesus  Christ 
is  truly  the  Son  of  God."  And  they  lived  faithfully  accord- 
ing to  their  faith.  Wherefore  all  of  them,  except  one,  suf- 
fered martyrdom  for  their  faith  in  Jesus  Christ. 

Consideration  —  The  Holy  Ghost  comes  down  upon  the 
apostles.  Where  were  the  apostles  assembled  on  the  tenth 
day  after  the  Ascension  of  Jesus?  Who  then  came  down 
upon  them?  Relate  what  was  then  heard.  What  did  the 
people  do  on  hearing  it?  In  what  manner  did  the  Holy 
Ghost  come  down  upon  the  apostles?  WThere  did  the  fiery 
tongues  place  themselves?  That  was  the  exterior.  At  the 
same  time  the  Holy  Ghost  entered  interiorly  the  hearts  of 
the  apostles,  and  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Whom  did  the  apostles  receive  on  Pentecost?  What  did 
the  Holy  Ghost  bring  along  into  the  hearts  of  the  apostles? 
He  brought  His  grace  into  the  hearts  of  the  apostles. 

The  apostles  profess  their  faith.  Relate  what  the  apos- 
tles did  after  receiving  the  Holy  Ghost.  What  did  St. 
Peter  preach  about  Jesus  ?  Who  is  Jesus,  since  by  His  own 
power  He  rose  from  the  dead  and  ascended  into  heaven? 
The  apostles  believed  it  firmly  and  preached  it  to  the  people. 
To  whom  had  St.  Peter  previously  said  that  he  did  not 
know  Jesus?  What  did  he  thereby  fail  to  profess?  His 
faith.  Now  Peter  firmly  believes  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of 
God,  and  he  tells  the  people  so.  What  does  he  do  in  saying 
that?  He  professes  his  faith.  The  other  apostles  did  like- 
wise. What  then  did  they  do?  They  professed  their 
faith. 

They  profess  their  faith  with  constancy.  How  did  many 
of  the  Jews  show  that  they  also  believed  what  St.  Peter 
preached?  They  received  baptism.  This  displeased  the 
chief  priests.  What  did  they  then  forbid  the  apostles? 
But  the  apostles  remained  firm  and  were  not  afraid.  And 
what  did  St.  Peter  answer?     What  did  the  apostles  con- 


CONFIRMATION  389 

tinue  to  do?  How  did  the  judges  then  punish  the  apostles 
for  disobeying  them.  But  what  was  the  effect  of  the  pun- 
ishment on  the  apostles?  They  rejoiced.  The  apostles 
did  not  yield ;  wherefore  we  say :  They  remained  constant. 
How  do  you  know  this?  They  continued  to  preach. 
What,  then,  did  they  again  profess?  The  apostles  pro- 
fessed their  faith  with  constancy. 

The  apostles  lived  according  to  their  faith.  The  apostles 
professed  their  faith  not  only  by  preaching.  St.  Peter 
never  again  told  a  lie.  The  apostles  carefully  kept  them- 
selves from  every  sin.  They  prayed  much  and  obeyed  our 
divine  Saviour  in  all  things.  What,  for  instance,  had  Jesus 
commanded  them  ?  To  go  into  the  whole  world  to  preach, 
baptize,  etc.  They  did  all  this.  What  kind  of  life  did  they 
lead?  Who  teaches  that  we  must  lead  a  good  life?  They, 
therefore,  live  as  faith  directs  or  prescribes.  In  other 
words,  the  apostles  lived  faithfully  in  accordance  with  holy 
faith. 

The  Holy  Ghost  strengthened  the  apostles.  The  apostles 
were  quite  different  from  what  they  had  previously  been. 
They  had  no  more  fear.  WThen  did  they  cease  fearing? 
How  could  you  easily  find  out  that  already  on  Pentecost  the 
apostles  showed  no  more  fear?  They  opened  the  door  and 
came  out  of  the  house.  Who  then  enabled  them  to  give  up 
all  fear?  What  did  He  place  in  their  souls?  What  effect 
had  it  in  their  souls  ?  Who,  then,  made  the  apostles  strong  ? 
The  Holy  Ghost.  The  Holy  Ghost  strengthened  the  apos- 
tles. 

We  also  are  strengthened  in  Confirmation  by  the  Holy 
Ghost.  We  may  use  the  word  confirm  instead  of 
strengthen.  You  will  be  confirmed  one  day.  Wrho  will 
come  to  confirm  you?  When  you  are  confirmed,  you  re- 
ceive the  Holy  Ghost  into  your  soul.  But  you  cannot  see 
Him.  In  Confirmation  you  shall  be  strengthened  by  the 
Holy  Ghost. 

III.  Connection.     When  were  the  apostles  strengthened 


390  CONFIRMATION 

by  the  Holy  Ghost?  When  will  you  be  strengthened  by 
the  Holy  Ghost?  You  always  wish  to  grow  big  and  strong. 
But  you  cannot  at  once  become  big  and  strong  in  body. 
How  do  you  grow  thus  ?  By  degrees.  By  what  means  do 
you  grown  big  and  strong  in  body?  How  did  the  apostles 
become  strong  at  once?  By  what  means  will  your  soul  be- 
come strong  at.  once?  What  are  soldiers  for?  Against 
whom  must  they  fight?  What  must  they  do  rather  than 
run  away?  You  also  have  an  enemy,  not  of  your  body, 
but  of  your  soul ;  he  tries  to  kill  your  soul.  Who  is  it  ? 
What  must  you  do  against  the  devil?  What  may  you  be 
called,  since  you  have  to  fight?  What  do  the  soldiers  need 
to  fight  and  to  protect  themselves?  What  do  you  receive 
in  Confirmation  from  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  you  may  pro- 
tect yourselves  against  the  devil?  What  happens  to  your 
soul  in  baptism?  What  beautiful  garment  does  it  receive? 
Whose  child  are  you  when  you  have  this  garment?  What 
happens  to  your  soul  in  Confirmation?  And  against  whom 
must  you  then  fight?  And  what  are  you  called  on  this 
account?  What  then  do  you  become  through  Confirma- 
tion?    What  do  you  become  through  baptism? 

IV.  Summary.  Which  grace  does  the  Christian  receive 
in  the  sacrament  of  Confirmation?  He  is  strengthened  by 
the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  may  profess  his  faith  with  con- 
stancy and  live  up  to  it  faithfully. 

V.  Application,  i.  Like  the  apostles,  dear  children, 
you  must  also  profess  your  faith  with  constancy.  What 
ought  you  to  answer,  when  somebody  asks  you  whether  you 
are  a  Catholic?  You  must  never,  out  of  fear  or  shame, 
reply :  ''  I'm  not  a  Catholic."  What  would  you  thereby 
commit?  Yes,  for,  like  St.  Peter,  you  would  have  denied 
your  faith. 

2.  In  which  prayer  do  we  profess  our  Catholic  faith? 
In  the  Apostles'  Creed.  By  what  sign  can  we  profess  our 
faith  without  saying  a  word?  By  the  sign  of  the  cross. 
Usually  we  say  something  when  we  make  the  sign  of  the 


THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST  391 

cross.  What  do  we  then  say?  At  the  beginning  of  the 
Gospel  during  Mass  we  make  the  sign  of  the  cross  differ- 
ently. Who  knows  how  it  is  then  made?  With  the  right 
thumb  on  our  forehead,  then  over  our  lips,  and  finally  on 
our  breast.  What  does  this  manner  of  making  the  sign 
of  the  cross  mean?  When  I  make  it  on  my  forehead,  it 
means :  "  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel,"  that  is,  of  my 
faith.  When  I  make  it  over  my  lips,  it  means :  "  I  pro- 
fess it  with  my  words."  And  when  I  make  it  on  my  breast, 
it  means :     "  I  bear  it  in  my  heart." 

3.  When  do  you  make  the  usual  or  large  sign  of  the 
cross?  Before  and  after  prayer.  What  do  you  know 
about  a  man  that  takes  off  his  hat,  and  about  a  woman  that 
bows  her  head  when  passing  before  a  church  or  a  cross? 
I  know  that  they  are  Catholics.  If  they  do  the  same  when 
meeting  a  priest? 

4.  The  Most  Holy  Sacrament  of  the  Altar. 

Object.  I  will  relate  to  you  to-day  how  our  loving 
Saviour  gave  to  His  apostles  His  flesh  to  eat  and  His  blood 
to  drink. 

I.  The  evening  before  His  death  Jesus  was  in  the  Sup- 
per-room with  His  apostles  in  order  to  eat  the  paschal 
lamb  with  them.  It  was  the  last  time  before  His  death 
that  He  ate  with  them.  The  supper  over,  our  Saviour 
took  bread  in  His  sacred  hands,  and  raised  His  eyes  heaven- 
ward to  God,  His  Almighty  Father,  gave  thanks,  blessed 
the  bread,  broke  and  gave  to  His  disciples,  saying :  "  Take 
and  eat,  for  this  is  My  body,  which  shall  be  delivered  for 
you."  With  great  devotion  the  apostles  ate  what  Jesus 
gave  them. 

Then,  in  like  manner,  Jesus  took  the  chalice  containing 
wine ;  again  gave  thanks,  blessed  it  and  gave  it  to  His  dis- 
ciples, saying:  "Drink  ye  all  of  this,  for  it  is  My  blood 
which  shall  be  shed  for  you  and  for  many  unto  the  for- 


392  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

giveness  of  sins.  Do  this  in  remembrance  of  Me."  He 
then  passed  the  chalice  to  each  apostle  in  turn,  first  to 
Peter,  then  to  John,  then  to  James,  and  so  on  until  all  had 
drunk  out  of  it. 

Consideration  —  The  Last  Supper.  When  did  Jesus 
eat  with  His  apostles  for  the  last  time  before  His  death? 
Where?  How  is  this  meal  called,  since  it  took  place  in 
the  evening?  What  did  Jesus  do  the  day  following  for 
us?  That  day  was  Good  Friday.  The  Last  Supper  took 
place  the  previous  evening.  That  was  Holy  Thursday 
evening.  After  the  supper  our  Saviour  looked  very  affec- 
tionately on  His  apostles,  for  He  wished  to  show  them  that 
He  loved  them  dearly. 

The  changing,  or  transubstantiation  of  the  bread.  What 
did  Jesus  first  take  in  His  hands  after  the  supper?  It  was 
a  fine,  white  thin  loaf  of  wheaten  bread.  It  was  not  to  be 
cut,  but  broken.  Then  Jesus  looked  up  to  His  heavenly 
Father  and  thanked  Him.  Then  what  did  He  do  to  the 
bread?  He  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  over  it.  Wrho  has 
seen  the  priest  making  the  sign  of  the  cross  over  beads,  a 
cross  or  a  medal?  Then  what  do  you  call  those  articles? 
Blessed  beads,  a  blessed  cross,  or  medal.  What  would  you 
call  the  bread  over  which  Jesus  made  the  sign  of  the  cross? 
What  did  Jesus  then  do  with  it?  He  broke  it  in  twelve 
parts,  and  gave  one  part  to  each  of  the  twelve  apostles.  But 
what  words  did  Jesus  pronounce  when  He  gave  it  to  His 
apostles?  Now  just  reflect,  children.  When  Jesus  pro- 
nounced over  the  bread  these  words :  "  This  is  My  body," 
a  great  wonder  took  place ;  the  bread  was  no  bread  any 
more,  but  was  turned  into  the  living  body  of  Jesus  Him- 
self. Therefore  we  say :  The  bread  was  changed  into  the 
true  living  body  of  Jesus.  (Repeat.)  What  did  the 
apostles  then  do  with  the  living  body  of  Jesus?  The  apos- 
tles ate  the  real  living  body  of  Jesus.  But  in  a  living  body 
there  is  also  its  blood.     Therefore,  in  the  body  into  which 


TRANSUBSTANTIATION  393 

the  bread  had  been  changed  and  which  the  apostles  ate, 
there  was  also  its  blood. 

What  was  on  the  table  before  Jesus  said :  "  This  is  My 
body  "  ?  Bread.  What  was  no  more  there  after  Jesus  had 
pronounced  these  words :  "  This  is  My  body  "  ?  No  bread 
any  more.  What  was  really  there?  What,  then,  had  be- 
come of  the  bread?  Therefore  we  say:  The  bread  was 
changed  into  the  true  body  of  Jesus.  With  what  words 
was  this  change  made?  What  words  did  Jesus  speak  in 
changing  the  bread  into  His  body?  With  the  words: 
"  This  is  My  body,''  Jesus  changed  bread  into  His  true  body. 

The  changing  or  transubstantiation  of  the  wine.  Jesus 
took  the  chalice  in  His  hands.  What  did  the  chalice  con- 
tain? Jesus  did  the  same  with  the  chalice  as  He  had  done 
with  the  bread.  What  did  He  first  do  with  the  bread? 
What  did  He  first  do  also  with  the  chalice?  What  kind 
of  wine  was  in  the  chalice  ?  Jesus  then  passed  the  chalice  to 
His  apostles.  What  did  He  say  in  doing  so?  This  is  etc. 
(as  given  above).  Then  a  great  wonder  took  place  in  the 
chalice.  The  wine,  by  the  words  of  Jesus,  was  changed 
into  the  true  blood  of  Jesus  Christ.  And  it  was  His  real 
blood  that  Jesus  gave  His  apostles  to  drink.  Therefore, 
the  apostles  drank  the  true  blood  of  Jesus. 

What  did  the  chalice  contain  before  Jesus  said  those 
words?  What  was  there  in  the  chalice  after  He  had  said 
those  words?  What,  then,  had  happened  to  the  wine? 
How  was  it  changed?  By  the  words  of  Jesus,  "This  is 
My  blood,"  the  wine  was  changed  into  the  true  blood  of 
Jesus.  Into  what  did  Jesus  change  bread  and  wine  at  the 
Last  Supper?  At  the  Last  Supper  Jesus  changed  bread 
and  wine  into  His  body  and  blood.     How  did  He  do  this? 

The  body  and  blood  of  Jesus  under  the  species  of  bread 
and  wine.  You  must  not  imagine  that  the  living  body  of 
Jesus,  which  the  apostles  ate,  looked  like  our  dear  Lord 
sitting  at  table  among  the  apostles.     Jesus  with  the  apos- 


394 


THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 


ties  looked  like  a  man,  had  all  the  appearance  of  a  man. 
How  did  Jesus  look  when  He  was  born?  Like  an  infant. 
How  did  He  look  when,  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  He  was 
among  the  doctors  in  the  Temple?  Like  a  twelve-year-old 
boy.  How  did  Jesus  look  when,  at  the  age  of  thirty  years, 
He  began  to  preach?  Like  a  man  of  the  same  age.  It  was 
the  same  when  His  body  was  nailed  to  the  cross  and  hung 
on  it  for  three  hours.  The  crucifix  here  shows  us  Jesus  in 
the  appearance  of  a  man.  What  is  the  difference  between 
the  appearance  of  Jesus  on  Mount  Calvary  and  on  this 
cross?  On  this  cross  Jesus  is  represented  in  wood;  on 
Calvary  He  was  there  with  His  body  of  flesh  and  blood. 
Which  of  the  two  is  the  true  body  of  Christ?  The  Christ 
on  this  cross  is  only  a  picture  or  representation  of  Jesus,  but 
not  His  true  living  body. 

The  body  of  Jesus  which  the  apostles  ate  at  the  Last 
Supper,  was  the  true  living  body  of  Jesus,  but  it  had  not 
the  appearance  of  a  man,  or  of  the  little  Infant  Jesus.  It 
looked  like  bread,  and  tasted  like  bread.  It  looked  no 
bigger  than  the  bread  before  it  was  changed,  and  no  one 
could  see  that  it  was  alive  in  the  appearance  of  bread.  It 
had  the  complete  appearance  of  bread.  Therefore  the 
apostles  could  not  see  with  their  eyes  the  body  of  Jesus, 
nor  could  they  taste  Him  when  eating,  for  the  body  of 
Jesus  was  concealed  under  the  appearances  of  bread.  But 
the  apostles  believed  that  it  was  the  real  living  body  of 
Jesus,  for  Jesus  had  said :  "  This  is  My  body."  And  all 
that  Jesus  says  is  true.  In  what  appearance  did  the  apos- 
tles eat  the  body  of  Jesus?  And  what  was  contained  in 
this  body  of  Jesus  under  the  appearance  of  bread? 

In  like  manner,  the  blood  of  Jesus,  which  the  apostles 
drank,  did  not  resemble  the  blood  in  the  body  of  Jesus. 
What  is  the  color  of  the  blood  in  the  body  of  a  man?  Is 
it  cold  or  warm?  The  blood  of  Jesus  which  the  apostles 
drank  was  not  red,  was  not  warm  and  did  not  taste  like 
blood.     It  looked  and  tasted  like  wine.     What  was  the  ap- 


OUR  SAVIOUR'S  LOVE  395 

pearance  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  in  the  chalice?  It  had  all 
the  appearance  of  wine-  Under  what  appearance  did  the 
apostles  drink  the  blood  of  Jesus?  Under  the  appearance 
of  wine.  Under  which  appearances  was  the  true  body  of 
Jesus,  which  the  apostles  ate,  and  the  true  blood  of  Jesus, 
which  the  apostles  drank?  They  were  concealed  under 
the  appearances  of  bread  and  wine. 

Our  Saviour's  love.  You  have  already  seen  how  a 
mother  acts  with  her  child  when  she  wishes  to  show  him 
how  much  she  loves  him?  She  takes  him  in  her  arms  and 
presses  him  to  her  breast  so  tightly,  that  it  would  seem  as 
if  she  intended  to  press  him  into  her  heart,  and  she  kisses 
him,  saying:  "I  love  you  so  much  that  I  could  eat  you 
up."  But  the  love  of  Jesus  for  His  apostles  was  much 
greater  than  a  mother's  love  for  her  child.  On  Holy 
Thursday  our  Saviour  knew  that  on  the  following  day  He 
would  die.  Hence  He  said :  "  Since  I  shall  die  to-mor- 
row, I  shall  no  longer  be  as  man  on  earth  with  the  apostles." 
But  our  Saviour  loved  His  apostles  so  much,  that  He 
wished  to  be  always  with  them.  For  this  reason  He 
changed  Himself  into  food  and  drink,  that  He  might  enter 
the  hearts  of  the  apostles  and  be  always  with  them.  How 
happy  did  the  apostles  become  on  this  account !  For  they 
bore  in  their  hearts  our  divine  Saviour,  who  is  all  love. 
And  how  full  of  love  must  their  hearts  have  been ! 

The  apostles  received  the  pozver  of  consecrating.  Jesus 
wished,  out  of  love  for  all  men,  to  be  in  the  hearts  of  all 
of  them,  in  order  to  remain  with  us.  Therefore,  He  willed 
that  the  apostles  also  should  have  the  power  of  changing 
bread  and  wine  into  His  sacred  body  and  blood.  Where- 
fore, after  He  had,  at  the  Last  Supper,  changed  bread  and 
wine  into  His  body  and  blood,  He  said  to  them :  "  Do 
this  in  remembrance  of  Me."  What  should  the  apostles  do? 
They  should  do  what  He  had  done,  as  He  had  done. 
What  had  Jesus  just  done?  He  had  changed  bread  and 
wine  into  His  body  and  blood,  and  distributed  them  as  food. 


396  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

He,  therefore,  gave  His  apostles  the  power  to  change,  in 
remembrance  of  Him,  bread  and  wine  into  His  body  and 
blood,  when  He  said  to  them :  "  Do  this  in  remembrance 
of  Me."  What  power,  then,  did  Jesus  give  to  His  apostles 
at  the  Last  Supper? 

This  power  has  been  transmitted  to  the  bishops  and 
priests.  Christ  wished  to  enter  the  hearts  of  men  under 
the  appearances  of  bread  and  wine  until  the  end  of  the 
world.  For  how  long  must,  then,  bread  and  wine  continue 
to  be  changed  into  our  Saviour's  body  and  blood  ?  But  the 
apostles  themselves  could  not  live  until  the  end  of  the  world, 
and  do  that  until  then.  Our  Saviour,  therefore,  willed 
that  they  should  transmit  that  power  to  others.  For  this 
reason  the  apostles  laid  hands  on  other  pious  men  and 
ordained  them  bishops  and  priests  with  the  power  of  chang- 
ing bread  and  wine  into  the  body  and  blood  of  Jesus,  and 
ordaining  other  men  to  do  the  same. 

This  power  is  exercised  in  holy  Mass.  Bishops  and 
priests  exercise  this  power  whenever  they  say  Mass.  The 
bishops  and  priests,  therefore,  in  holy  Mass  change  bread 
and  wine  into  the  true  body  and  the  true  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ.  To  whom,  then,  did  the  apostles  transmit  their 
power?  How  did  they  do  this?  When  do  bishops  and 
priests  exercise  this  power? 

The  Sacrament  of  the  Altar.  Where  does  the  priest  say 
Mass?  At  the  altar.  Where,  then,  are  bread  and  wine 
changed  into  the  true  body  and  the  true  blood  of  Jesus? 
At  the  altar.  Therefore  the  body  and  the  blood  of  Christ 
under  the  appearances  of  bread  and  wine  are  called  the 
Sacrament  of  the  Altar.     (Repeat.) 

The  most  holy  Sacrament.  What  is  contained  in  every 
sacrament?  Grace.  Whence  does  grace  flow?  From  the 
heart  of  Jesus.  In  the  Sacrament  of  the  Altar  we  receive 
not  merely  graces.  Whom  do  we  receive  in  the  Sacrament 
of  the  Altar?  Jesus.  He  who  receives  Jesus,  possesses 
all  graces.     Therefore  the  Sacrament  of  the  Altar  is  more 


THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST  397 

holy  than  the  other  sacraments.  How,  then,  is  it  called? 
The  most  holy  Sacrament.  Hofr  is  the  little  place  on  the 
altar  called,  where  our  Saviour  dwells  in  the  most  holy 
Sacrament?     The  tabernacle. 

The  institution  of  the  most  holy  Sacrament  of  the  Altar. 
Who  was  the  first  to  prepare  the  most  holy  Sacrament  of 
the  Altar?  Jesus.  When?  At  the  Last  Supper.  When 
did  He  eat  the  Last  Supper  with  His  apostles?  On  the 
eve  of  His  sorrowful  passion.  It  was  then  that  He  insti- 
tuted the  most  holy  Sacrament  of  the  Altar.  When  did 
Jesus  institute  the  most  holy  Sacrament  of  the  Altar?  He 
instituted  it  at  the  Last  Supper  on  the  eve  of  His  passion. 
How  did  He  institute  it?  Jesus  took  bread,  blessed,  broke 
and  gave  to  His  disciples,  saying :  "  Take  ye  and  eat,  for 
this  is  My  body."  Then  He  took  the  chalice  with  wine, 
blessed  and  gave  to  His  disciples,  saying :  "  Drink  ye  all 
of  this,  for  this  is  My  blood.  Do  this  in  remembrance 
of  Me." 

II.  Connection.  What  did  our  Saviour  have  in  His 
hands  in  order  to  change  it  into  His  body?  From  what 
did  God  make  the  body  of  the  first  man?  Into  what  did 
God  then  change  slime?  Into  what  did  Jesus  change  bread 
and  wine?  How  did  God  give  life  to  the  body  He  had 
formed  from  the  slime  of  the  earth?  How  did  Jesus 
cause  bread  to  become  His  living  body?  What  was  there 
before  God  breathed  a  living  soul  into  that  body?  What 
was  there  after  God  had  breathed  a  living  soul  into  it? 
What  was  there  on  the  table  before  Jesus  said :  "  This  is 
My  body,  this  is  My  blood  "?  What  was  there  after  Jesus 
had  pronounced  those  words?  What  appearance  had 
Adam's  body  after  the  change?  The  appearance  of  a 
living  man  made  of  flesh  and  blood.  What  appearance  had 
the  body  and  blood  of  Jesus  after  the  change?  The  ap- 
pearances of  bread  and  wine.  There  were  no  signs  of  life 
therein. 

III.  Summary.     The  most  holy  Sacrament  of  the  Altar 


398  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

is  the  true  body  and  the  true  blood  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
under  the  appearances  of  bread  and  wine.  Our  Saviour 
instituted  it  at  the  Last  Supper  on  the  eve  of  His  passion. 
Jesus  took  bread,  blessed,  broke  and  gave  to  His  disciples, 
saying:  "Take  ye  and  eat,  for  this  is  My  body."  Then 
He  took  the  chalice  with  wine,  blessed  and  gave  to  His  dis- 
ciples, saying :  "  Drink  ye  all  of  this,  for  this  is  My  blood. 
Do  this  in  remembrance  of  Me."  Jesus  gave  to  His  apos- 
tles also  the  power  to  change  bread  and  wine  into  His  body 
and  blood,  saying :  "  Do  this  in  remembrance  of  Me." 
The  apostles  transmitted  this  power  to  bishops  and  priests. 
The  bishops  and  priests  exercise  this  power  in  the  Mass. 

IV.  Application,  i.  You  have  learnt  that  our  Saviour 
is  present  on  the  altar  under  the  appearances  of  bread  and 
wine.  Where  does  He  dwell?  In  the  tabernacle.  When 
entering  a  church,  we  can  see  at  once  whether  our  Saviour 
dwells  in  the  tabernacle.  How  do  we  know  it?  When 
the  lamp  before  the  altar  is  lit.  Our  Saviour  dwells  there, 
because  He  loves  us  so  much  and  wishes  to  be  always  near 
us.  In  the  tabernacle  our  Saviour  constantly  watches  day 
and  night  over  us,  prays  for  us  and  blesses  us.  Sometimes 
during  the  day  you  see  people  kneeling,  looking  towards  the 
tabernacle  and  praying.  Very  often  Jesus  is  all  alone. 
Should  you  not  also  sometimes  visit  our  dear  Saviour  in 
the  church?  For  instance,  during  the  day,  after  school, 
or  when  you  are  passing  by,  you  could  easily  go  into  the 
church  to  visit  our  Lord  for  a  few  moments.  On  such 
occasions  kneel  down,  adore  our  Lord,  and  tell  Him  how 
much  you  love  Him,  that  you  will  try  to  behave  well,  and 
ask  Him  for  all  that  you  need.  This  will  please  our 
Saviour  and  bring  you  blessing  and  success.  After  doing 
this,  you  may  go  out  quietly  to  your  work  or  your  play. 

2.  I  will  now  tell  you  an  anecdote  about  our  Lord  show- 
ing Himself  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  in  His  real  figure 
to  a  pious  boy.  Little  Antony  used  to  feel  happy  every 
time  he  served  Father  Peter's  Mass.     One  day  Antony  saw 


THE  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS         399 

during  Mass  how  Father  Peter  was  holding  a  little  child  in 
his  hands,  and  then  putting  the  child  into  his  mouth  and 
eating  it.  Antony  got  frightened  and  told  it  to  his  mother, 
saying :  "  Dear  mother,  I  have  always  liked  to  serve 
Father  Peter's  Mass,  but  now  I  am  afraid  to  do  so.  Shall 
I  continue  to  serve  his  Mass  ?  "  His  mother  surprised  said 
to  him:  "  My  child,  what  are  you  thinking  of?  It  should 
be  a  great  pleasure  to  serve  the  Mass  of  so  holy  a  priest." 
But  Antony  replied :  '  Yes,  dear  mother,  Father  Peter  has 
until  now  been  kind  and  good ;  but  guess  what  he  is  now 
doing.  Just  think  of  it ;  this  morning  during  his  Mass, 
Father  held  in  his  hands  a  beautiful  little  child,  then  he  put 
that  child  into  his  mouth  till  it  disappeared.  Father  has 
such  friendly  eyes  and  such  a  nice  face ;  but  I  never  knew 
before  that  he  ate  little  children.  Could  he  not  some  time 
do  with  me  what  he  did  to  that  little  child?  It  is  true  that 
little  child  made  no  resistance  at  all.  Will  you  not,  dear 
mother,  tell  me  not  to  serve  Mass  any  more  ?  "  But  An- 
tony's mother,  weeping  for  joy,  said  to  him:  "  Dear  child, 
continue  to  serve  Father  Peter's  Mass.  That  little  child 
you  saw  him  eating,  was  the  dear  little  Infant  Jesus.  Later 
on  you  will  say:  When  I  was  yet  an  innocent  child,  I 
served  the  Mass  of  a  saint." 


5.  The  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass. 

Object.  We  shall  hear  how  we  can  offer  a  sacrifice  to 
the  good  God. 

I.  Preparation  —  The  sacrifices  of  Cain  and  Abel. 
Which  of  you  has  already  offered  something  to  God? 
What  offering  did  you  make  to  Him?  Which  two  men 
once  offered  sacrifice  to  God,  as  the  Bible  History  relates? 
Wrhat  did  they  offer?  Fruits  of  the  earth  and  lambs.  Re- 
late how  they  offered  these  sacrifices.  What  did  they  do, 
whilst  their  offerings  were  burning?  They  knelt  and 
prayed,  saying :     "  Dear  Lord,  Thou  hast  created  all  things. 


4oo  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

All  that  we  have  comes  from  Thee.  The  lambs,  the  fruits 
of  the  earth,  our  bodies,  our  souls,  our  very  life  are  gifts  of 
Thine,  dearest  Lord.  We  would  wish  to  offer  them  all  to 
Thee  in  return  for  Thy  goodness ;  and  we  would  willingly 
die  for  the  love  of  Thee.  But  this  we  cannot  do.  There- 
fore, we  offer  the  best  and  the  most  beautiful  of  what  we 
have.  Deign  graciously  to  accept  our  offerings."  (Re- 
peat.) What  did  Cain  offer  in  sacrifice?  And  what  did 
Abel  offer? 

Our  offer  or  sacrifice  is  'Jesus  Christ.  We  also  and  all 
men  have  received  all  we  have  from  God.  What  ought  we, 
then,  to  do  with  all  of  it?  What  should  we  even  offer  to 
God?  Our  very  life.  Yea,  we  have  even,  on  account  of 
our  sins,  deserved  death.  To  whom  did  God  say  in  the  be- 
ginning that  men  deserved  death  on  account  of  their  sin? 
What  did  God  say? 

Who  died  for  our  sins?  Where  did  He  die?  There- 
fore we  say :  Jesus  sacrificed  Himself  for  us  on  the  cross. 
What  did  Jesus  sacrifice  for  us  on  the  cross  ?  His  life ; 
Himself.  Jesus  Himself  was  the  victim.  To  whom  did 
Jesus  sacrifice  Himself?  To  God,  His  heavenly  Father. 
And  for  whom  did  Jesus  sacrifice  Himself?  For  us;  for 
our  sins.  Upon  what  did  Cain  and  Abel  lay  their  sacri- 
fices ?  Which  was  the  altar  on  which  our  Saviour  sacrificed 
Himself?     On  the  altar  of  the  cross. 

The  bloody  Sacrifice.  In  sacrificing  his  lamb  Abel  killed 
it.  He  let  the  blood  flow  out  of  it  until  it  was  dead.  What 
happened  on  the  cross  also  to  the  blood  of  Jesus  ?  Whither 
did  the  blood  of  Jesus  flow?  Where  was  the  body  of 
Jesus?  What  became  of  Jesus,  when  all  the  blood  had 
flowed  out  of  His  body?  The  sacrifice  was  consummated. 
Because  the  blood  of  Jesus  flowed  in  His  sacrifice  on  the 
cross,  His  was  a  bloody  sacrifice.  The  sacrifice  of  Jesus  is 
now  offered  daily.     Do  you  know  when  this  happens? 

Object.  I  am  going  to  tell  you  beautiful  things  about 
holy  Mass. 


THE  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS         401 

I. 

Relation  —  The  Relation  is  first  given  entire.  Before 
developing  each  of  the  principal  parts,  one  of  the  respective 
divisions  of  the  Relation  is  to  be  repeated. 

When  the  priest  is  about  to  say  Mass,  he  puts  on  beauti- 
ful vestments.  Over  all  of  them  is  the  chasuble.  On  it  is 
the  image  of  the  cross.  Thus  dressed  the  priest,  preceded 
by  the  server,  or  servers,  goes  to  the  altar.  In  his  hands  he 
carries  a  chalice  covered  with  a  cloth.  On  the  middle  of 
the  altar  the  priest  spreads  a  fine  white  cloth,  and  places 
the  chalice  upon  it.  Then  the  priest  comes  down  the  steps 
of  the  altar  and  recites  prayers  alternately  with  the  server. 
The  people  in  the  church  pray,  and,  if  it  is  a  high  Mass, 
the  choir  sings.  The  priest  then  again  goes  up  to  the  altar 
praying.  He  prays  or  sings  first  on  the  right  side  of  the 
altar,  and  then  on  the  left.  Finally,  he  comes  to  the  middle 
and  uncovers  the  chalice,  and  the  server  rings  the  bell.  On 
the  chalice  is  a  gilt  little  plate  holding  a  host.  The  priest 
takes  it  with  the  host  on  it  in  his  hands  and  raises  it  up 
whilst  saying :  "  O  heavenly  Father,  almighty  God,  bless 
and  graciously  accept  this  spotless  offering.  To  Thee  I 
offer  it  for  my  sins,  for  the  sins  of  all  now  present  and  for 
the  sins  of  all  Christians,  both  living  and  dead."  Then  the 
priest  puts  the  host  down  on  the  white  cloth.  After  this 
the  priest  takes  the  chalice  in  his  hand  and  pours  into  it 
wine  and  a  few  drops  of  water.  He  next  holds  up  the 
chalice  praying  God  also  to  bless  and  graciously  accept  the 
offering  in  the  chalice  for  the  salvation  of  the  whole  world. 
Finally,  he  places  the  chalice  on  the  white  cloth  and  cov- 
ers it. 

II. 

After  this  the  priest  prays  or  sings  for  a  short  while, 
and  then  everything  becomes  quiet  and  still  in  the  church 
and  everybody  looks  towards  the  altar.     The  priest  takes 


402  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

the  host  in  his  hands,  looks  heavenward  and  blesses  it. 
Then  bowing  forward  he  pronounces  over  the  host  our 
divine  Saviour's  words :  "  Take  ye  and  eat,  for  this  is  My 
body."  By  these  words  the  bread  is  changed  into  the  true 
living  body  of  Jesus.  Out  of  reverence  for  our  Saviour  the 
priest  bends  his  right  knee  to  the  floor,  adoring  Jesus. 
Rising  he  holds  our  Saviour  up  high,  that  the  people  in 
church  may  see  and  adore  Him.  During  this  time  the 
server  rings  the  bell  three  times.  The  priest  then  lays  our 
dear  Lord  on  the  white  cloth,  and  makes  another  genu- 
flexion. 

After  this  the  priest  takes  the  chalice  with  the  wine  in 
his  hands ;  then  bowing  forward  he  pronounces  over  the 
chalice  the  words  of  our  Saviour :  "  Take  and  drink  ye 
all  of  this,  for  this  is  My  blood."  There  is  now  in  the 
chalice  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus  Christ.  Therefore  the 
priest  again  genuflects  and  adores  the  blood  of  Jesus. 
Then  he  raises  the  chalice  with  the  blood  of  Jesus  upward, 
so  that  the  people  may  see  and  adore  it.  At  the  same  time 
the  server  again  rings  the  bell  three  times.  The  priest 
next  lays  the  chalice  down  on  the  white  cloth,  covers  it, 
and  then  genuflects,  adoring  our  Saviour. 

III. 

Having  done  this,  the  priest  prays  for  some  minutes,  and 
.finally  takes  the  gilt  little  plate  with  the  host  on  it  in  his 
left  hand,  and  with  his  right  strikes  his  breast  three  times, 
saying  each  time :  "  O  Lord,  I  am  not  worthy  that  Thou 
shouldst  enter  under  my  roof ;  but  say  only  the  word,  and 
my  soul  shall  be  healed."  Each  time  the  server  rings  the 
bell.  The  priest  then  takes  the  sacred  Host  in  his  right 
hand,  and  with  it  makes  the  sign  of  the  cross  over  himself, 
saying :  "  May  the  body  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  keep 
my  soul  unto  life  everlasting.  Amen."  Now  the  priest 
places  the  sacred  Host  on  his  tongue  and  receives  our  Lord 


THE  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS         403 

Jesus  Christ.  He  remains  still  for  a  while,  adoring  Jesus 
in  his  heart. 

After  this  the  priest  takes  the  chalice  with  the  precious 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ  in  his  right  hand  and  with  it  makes 
the  sign  of  the  cross  over  himself,  saying :  "  May  the 
blood  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  keep  my  soul  unto  life  ever- 
lasting. Amen."  Then  he  most  reverently  drinks  the 
precious  blood  of  Jesus  Christ. 

If  there  are  in  church  persons  who  also  wish  to  receive 
our  divine  Saviour,  they  kneel  at  the  communion  railing, 
and  the  priest  takes  the  cup  or  ciborium  containing  the  body 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  under  the  appearances  of  bread, 
in  his  left  hand.  Turning  to  those  persons  and  holding 
our  dear  Lord  in  his  right  hand  over  the  ciborium,  so  that 
all  may  see  it,  he  says  once :  "  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God ; 
behold  Him  who  takes  away  the  sins  of  the  world."  Then 
he  repeats  three  times :  "  O  Lord,  I  am  not  worthy,"  etc. 
The  people  repeat  the  same  words,  each  time  striking  their 
breast.  The  priest  then  goes  down  to  the  communion  rail- 
ing, and  gives  to  each  one  there  our  divine  Saviour,  making 
the  sign  of  the  cross  over  him  with  the  Sacred  Host  and 
saying :  "  May  the  body  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  keep 
thy  soul  unto  life  everlasting.  Amen."  After  this  the 
priest  returns  to  the  altar.  Finally,  after  he  has  said  or 
sung  some  prayers  the  Mass  is  over. 

I.    THE   OFFERTORY. 

(Repeat  I  of  Relation.)  Jesus  goes  to  sacrifice  Himself 
for  us.  What  does  the  priest  put  on  when  he  is  about  to 
say  Mass?  Which  vestment  does  he  put  over  the  others? 
Wrhat  is  pictured  on  this  vestment?  A  cross.  Who  car- 
ried a  wooden  cross  on  His  back?  Therefore  the  priest 
going  to  say  Mass  represents  Jesus  Christ  going  to  sacrifice 
Himself.  What  does  the  priest  hold  in  his  hands  when 
going  to  the  altar?  The  altar  is  covered  with  a  white 
cloth,  and  looks  like  a  table  that  is  set.     What  does  the 


404  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

priest  first  unfold  and  lay  on  the  altar?  What  does  he 
place  on  that  fine  little  white  cloth  ? 

What  is  done  in  the  Mass  before  the  Offertory.  Where 
does  the  priest  go  again  ?  What  does  he  do  below  the  altar 
steps?  Who  prays  with  him?  And  what  are  the  people 
in  the  church  doing?  Where  does  the  priest  go  when  he 
is  through  the  prayers  at  the  foot  of  the  altar?  On  which 
side  of  the  altar  does  he  first  pray?  Where  does  he  pray 
next?  Where  does  he  at  last  stand?  There  he  prays  a 
moment.  What  does  he  then  do?  How  do  the  people  in 
church  know  this?     The  server  rings  the  bell. 

The  offering  of  the  bread.  What  lays  on  the  chalice? 
And  what  is  on  the  little  plate?  The  host  is  made  of  the 
finest  wheat  flour.  Under  the  appearance  of  bread  in  the 
host  and  under  the  appearance  of  wine  our  Saviour  will 
sacrifice  Himself  to  His  heavenly  Father.  Where  did  Jesus 
first  sacrifice  Himself  to  His  heavenly  Father?  In  what 
appearance  did  He  sacrifice  Himself  to  his  heavenly  Father 
on  the  cross?  But  in  the  Mass  our  Saviour  does  not  sac- 
rifice Himself  to  His  heavenly  Father  in  His  appearance  as 
man.  Under  what  appearance  does  He  sacrifice  Himself 
therein  ? 

The  spotless  Sacrifice.  The  priest  takes  in  his  hands  the 
little  plate  with  the  host.  What  prayer  does  he  recite  in 
so  doing?  What  does  the  priest  call  the  host  on  the  little 
plate?  "Spotless  Offering."  What  does  he  ask  the 
heavenly  Father  to  do  to  it?  To  bless  it.  What  does  the 
bread  then  become?  Blessed  bread.  This  offering  will 
later  on  be  changed  into  the  true  living  body  of  Jesus.  The 
body  of  Jesus  was  perfectly  pure  and  free  from  every  sin. 
Wherefore  what  does  the  priest  call  the  offering  which  is 
to  be  afterwards  changed  into  the  body  of  Jesus?  Whom 
does  the  priest  ask  to  accept  it  graciously? 

Why  is  the  Sacrifice  offered.  In  his  prayer  the  priest 
said  why  the  heavenly  Father  should  accept  this  spotless 
Sacrifice.     How  did  he  express  himself?     "For  my  sins, 


THE  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS         405 

for  the  sins  of  all  who  are  present,  and  for  the  sins  of  all 
the  faithful  living  and  dead."  First  for  what?  Second, 
and  third?     Where  does  the  priest  now  place  the  host? 

The  offering  of  the  wine.  The  priest  then  takes  the 
chalice  in  his  hands.  What  does  he  pour  into  it?  Wine. 
The  wine  is  to  be  afterwards  changed  into  the  precious 
blood  of  Jesus  Christ.  When  Jesus  sacrificed  Himself  on 
the  cross,  a  soldier  opened  His  heart  with  a  spear.  What 
flowed  out  of  His  heart  ?  Blood  and  water.  Therefore  the 
priest  puts  into  the  chalice  also  a  few  drops  of  water.  How 
does  the  priest  then  raise  the  chalice?  What  prayer  does 
he  say  in  doing  so?  He  prays  that  God  the  Father  in 
heaven  may  bless  and  graciously  accept  that  sacrifice. 
What  does  the  priest  call  the  wine  in  the  chalice?  Sacri- 
fice. To  whom  does  the  priest  offer  this  Sacrifice  ?  What 
does  he  ask  God  the  Father  to  do  to  the  wine  ?  What  kind 
of  wine  does  it  then  become?  Blessed  wine.  Into  what 
will  it  afterwards  be  changed  ?  Where  does  the  priest  then 
place  the  chalice  with  the  blessed  wine? 

Summary.  Which  are  the  gifts  the  priest  offers  to  God? 
For  what  does  the  priest  offer  them  to  the  heavenly  Father? 
That  He  would  bless  them.  Therefore  this  part  of  the 
Mass  is  called  the  Offertory.  It  is  the  first  principal  part 
of  the  Mass. 

II.    THE    CONSECRATION. 

(Repeat  the  second   (II)   part  of  the  Relation.) 

The  consecration  of  the  bread.  Immediately  after  the 
Offertory  the  priest  prays  or  sings  for  a  time.  What  sud- 
denly takes  place  after  this  in  the  church?  Where  do  all 
then  look  ?  What  does  the  priest  take  in  his  hands  ?  The 
host.  Tell  me  what  the  priest  does  then?  He  raises  his 
eyes  heavenward  and  blesses  the  host.  In  what  position 
does  he  place  himself?  What  words  does  he  pronounce 
over  the  bread?  Who  was  the  first  to  pronounce  those 
words    over    bread?     When    was    that?     What    happened 


406  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

when  our  Lord  said  those  words?  The  same  thing  takes 
place  also  when  the  priest  pronounces  over  the  bread  those 
words  of  our  Saviour.  What  takes  place  then?  After 
those  words  what  does  the  priest  hold  in  his  hands  ? 

The  adoration.  Who  on  earth  first  carried  our  Saviour 
in  her  arms?  When  was  that?  Who  else  came  that  night 
to  the  Infant  Jesus?  How  did  the  shepherds  venerate  the 
Infant  Jesus?  Who  came  from  heaven  to  venerate  Him? 
How  did  they  joyfully  sing,  because  the  Infant  Jesus  had 
come  upon  the  earth? 

Behold  now  at  the  consecration  the  same  thing  happens 
as  in  the  stable  of  Bethlehem.  The  same  Saviour  comes 
from  heaven  upon  the  altar.  And  just  as  our  Saviour  in 
the  stable  of  Bethlehem  was  wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes, 
so  does  He  in  the  Mass  lie  upon  a  fine  white  little  cloth. 
How  did  our  Saviour  appear  in  the  stable  of  Bethlehem? 
And  what  is  His  appearance  during  Mass  ?  We  do  not  see 
our  Saviour;  what  do  we  see?  Only  the  appearances  of 
bread.  And  just  as  the  angels  at  Bethlehem  sang  a  joyful 
hymn  when  Jesus  was  born,  now  the  altar  boys  ring  the 
bell,  and  angels  come  down  from  heaven  invisibly  and  sur- 
round the  altar  and  adore  our  Saviour.  What  does  the 
priest  do?  He  bends  his  knee  to  the  floor  and  adores  our 
Saviour,  and  then  raises  our  Saviour  towards  heaven. 
And  why?  How  are  the  people  present  reminded  of  this? 
Where  does  the  priest  then  place  our  Saviour?  How  does 
the  priest  again  venerate  our  Saviour? 

The  consecration  of  the  wine.  What  does  the  priest 
after  this  take  in  his  hands?  In  what  position  does  he  now 
place  himself?  What  words  does  he  pronounce  over  the 
wine  in  the  chalice?  Who  was  the  first  to  pronounce  those 
words  over  a  chalice  containing  wine?  What  then  hap- 
pened to  the  wine?  The  wine  was  changed  into  the  blood 
of  Jesus.  The  same  thing  takes  place  also  when  the  priest 
pronounces  these  words  of  our  Saviour  over  the  wine  in  the 
chalice.     What  does  the  chalice  contain  after  this? 


THE  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS         407 

The  adoration  of  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus.  How 
does  the  priest  venerate  the  precious  blood  of  Jesus  ?  What 
does  he  then  do  with  the  chalice  ?  What  do  the  servers  do 
at  the  same  time?  Why?  Where  does  the  priest  then 
place  the  chalice  containing  the  blood  of  Jesus?  How  does 
he  again  venerate  it? 

Summary.  What  happened  to  the  bread  and  wine  when 
the  priest  pronounced  over  them  these  words :  "  This  is 
My  body,  this  is  My  blood  "  ?  The  bread  was  changed  into 
the  true  body  of  Jesus,  and  the  wine  into  His  true  blood. 
This  part  of  the  Mass  is  called  the  Consecration.  It  is  the 
second  part  of  the  Mass. 

The  Victim.  Dear  children,  at  the  Consecration  our  di- 
vine Saviour  comes  down  from  heaven  to  us  on  the  altar. 
In  heaven  He  is  seated  at  the  right  hand  of  God  the  Father 
Almighty.  His  body  is  wonderfully  beautiful  and  shines 
as  brightly  as  the  sun,  and  His  five  wounds  are  like  bloom- 
ing roses.  He  can  no  longer  suffer,  no  longer  die.  He  is 
glorified,  and  exceedingly  happy.  In  this  shining,  glorified 
body  He  comes  at  the  consecration  from  heaven  upon  the 
altar.  But  no  one  sees  that  brightness  and  splendor. 
Why?  What  appearance  does  our  Saviour  take  at  the 
Consecration?  He  does  not  move;  He  allows  Himself  to 
be  lifted,  to  be  handled  and  treated  just  as  the  priest  wills. 
No  one  can  see  that  He  is  alive ;  He  is  as  if  dead.  He  is 
like  a  victim.     So  great  is  our  Saviour's  love  for  us. 

III.    THE    COMMUNION. 

(Repeat  part  III  of  the  Relation.) 

I.  The  partaking  of  the  body  of  Jesus.  Which  parts  of 
the  Mass  have  you  already  learnt?  After  the  Consecration 
the  priest  prays  for  some  time.  Then  he  takes  the  gilt  little 
plate  with  the  sacred  Host  in  his  left  hand.  What  does 
he  do  with  his  right  hand?  What  does  he  say  each  time? 
And  what  does  the  server  do  ?     Why  does  he  ring  the  bell  ? 


408  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

Then  the  priest  takes  the  sacred  Host  in  his  right  hand, 
and  with  it  makes  the  sign  of  the  cross  over  himself.  What 
does  he  say  at  the  same  time?  Where  does  the  priest  place 
the  sacred  Host?  Why?  That  he  may  receive  holy  Com- 
munion, that  is,  receive  the  body  of  our  Saviour. 

The  soul's  food.  If  the  heavenly  Father  would  ask  the 
priest:  "  WThat  hast  thou  done  with  My  Son?"  The 
priest  would  answer :  "  I  have  eaten  Him  as  the  food  of 
my  soul,  for  Thou  gavest  Him  to  me."  Our  divine  Saviour 
under  the  appearance  of  bread  has  entered,  like  a  food,  into 
the  soul,  the  heart  of  the  priest. 

Why  do  the  parents  give  their  children  bread  to  eat? 
That  they  may  grow  and  get  strong.  But  our  Saviour 
under  the  appearance  of  bread  is  not  food  for  the  body. 
For  what  is  He  the  food?  Our  Saviour  under  the  appear- 
ance of  bread  is  a  food  for  the  soul.  This  food  should  keep 
the  soul  healthy  and  make  it  strong. 

The  adoration.  Our  divine  Saviour  is  now  in  the  priest's 
heart.  What  do  you  call  that  little  place  in  the  church  in 
which  our  Saviour  dwells?  What  may  we  now  call  the 
heart  of  the  priest,  since  our  Lord  dwells  in  it?  The 
ciborium  in  which  our  Saviour  is  kept,  is  holy.  The  chalice 
which  contains  His  precious  blood  is  holy.  The  tabernacle 
in  which  He  dwells  is  holy.  What  is  the  heart  of  the 
priest,  when  Jesus  dwells  therein?  What  do  you  do  when 
you  pass  in  front  of  the  tabernacle?  People  often  kneel 
before  the  tabernacle,  wherein  Jesus  dwells.  What  do  they 
do  there?  What  does  the  priest  do  after  Jesus  enters  his 
heart  and  remains  therein? 

The  drinking  of  the  precious  blood.  What  does  the 
priest  take  in  his  hand  after  receiving  our  Lord's  body? 
What  does  he  do  over  himself  with  the  chalice  ?  What  does 
he  say  then  ?    What  does  he  do  with  the  blood  of  Jesus  ? 

The  union.  Now  Jesus  lives  in  the  priest's  heart.  The 
priest  and  our  Saviour  are  one ;  they  are  most  intimately 
united.     This  part  of  the  Mass  in  which  our  Saviour  most 


THE  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS         409 

intimately  unites  Himself  with  the  priest,  is  called  the  Com- 
munion.    It  is  the  third  part  of  the  Mass. 

The  Communion  of  the  faithful.  Often  there  are  some 
persons  who  also  wish  to  receive  our  divine  Saviour. 
Where  do  they  kneel?  With  what  is  the  communion  rail- 
ing, or  table,  covered  ?  It  is  covered  with  a  white  cloth,  like 
a  table  prepared  for  a  meal.  The  priest  now  takes  the 
ciborium  in  his  left  hand  and  turns  towards  the  people. 
There  are  sacred  Hosts  in  the  ciborium.  These  he  changed 
at  the  Consecration  together  with  the  large  Host  into  the 
living  body  of  Jesus.  The  priest  takes  one  of  these  Hosts 
in  his  right  hand  and  holds  it  over  the  ciborium,  saying: 
"  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God,  behold  Him  who  takes  away 
the  sins  of  the  world."  Then  he  says  three  times :  "  Lord, 
I  am  not  worthy,"  etc.  What  do  the  people  do  at  the  same 
time?  Then  where  does  the  priest  go?  What  does  he  do 
with  the  sacred  Host  over  each  of  the  communicants? 
What  does  he  say  when  doing  so?  Where  does  he  place 
the  sacred  Host?  After  this  the  priest  places  the  ciborium 
with  the  sacred  Hosts  in  the  tabernacle.  The  communi- 
cants swallow  the  sacred  Host  and  go  to  their  places. 

II.  Summary.  What  is  our  Saviour  for  their  soul? 
Food  for  their  soul.  Who  previously  already  had  our 
Saviour  for  the  food  of  his  soul?  To  whom  does  our 
Saviour  give  Himself  in  holy  Communion  as  the  food  of 
their  souls?  In  holy  Communion  our  Saviour  gives  Him- 
self to  the  priest  and  to  the  faithful  as  food  of  their  souls. 

The  heart  a  tabernacle.  Jesus  lives  in  the  hearts  of  all 
who  receive  Him.  The  heart  of  each  is  like  a  tabernacle. 
When  they  return  from  the  Communion  table  devoutly  with 
joined  hands  and  eyes  cast  down  and  our  dear  Saviour  in 
their  hearts,  we  can  say  of  each  one :     "  Here  Jesus  dwells." 

What  does  the  priest  do  after  holy  Communion?  He 
says  some  prayers ;  and  when  he  has  said  them,  and  given 
his  blessing  to  the  faithful,  the  holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass 
is  over. 


4io  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

III.  Connection  —  The  unbloody  sacrifice  of  Jesus. 
In  what  appearance  does  Jesus  give  Himself  in  holy  Com- 
munion as  food  of  the  soul?  In  which  part  of  the  Mass 
did  He  assume  (put  on)  that  appearance?  What  was  the 
appearance  of  Jesus,  when  He  sacrificed  Himself  for  us  on 
the  cross?  Where  was  His  body  when  His  sacrifice  was 
accomplished?  And  where  was  His  blood  when  His  sac- 
rifice was  accomplished?  In  the  sacrifice  of  the  cross  the 
body  and  the  blood  of  Jesus  were  separated. 

What  kind  of  appearance  did  the  body  of  Jesus  put  on 
at  the  Consecration?  What  kind  of  appearance  did  His 
blood  then  put  on?  It  seems,  then,  as  if  the  body  and  the 
blood  of  Jesus  were  separated  from  each  other  in  the  Mass. 
And  Jesus  appears  to  us  as  if  dead.  Jesus  sacrifices  Him- 
self in  the  Mass  as  He  did  in  the  sacrifice  of  the  cross. 
How  do  we  call  the  sacrifice  of  the  cross,  because  in  it  His 
blood  flowed?  A  bloody  sacrifice.  In  the  Mass  Jesus  dies 
no  more,  there  is  no  real  shedding  of  blood.  Therefore  the 
Mass  is  the  unbloody  sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ. 

IV.  Summary.  Who  sacrifices  Himself  in  the  Mass? 
What  kind  of  sacrifice  is  the  Mass?  The  Mass  is  the  un- 
bloody sacrifice  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  The 
principal  parts  of  the  Mass  are:  i,  the  Offertory;  2, 
the  Consecration ;  3,  the  Communion.  At  the  Offertory  the 
priest  offers  to  God  bread  and  wine,  that  God  may  bless 
them.  At  the  Consecration  bread  and  wine  are  changed 
into  the  true  body  and  the  true  blood  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  At  the  holy  Communion  our  Saviour  gives  Him- 
self to  the  priest  and  the  faithful  as  the  food  of  their  souls. 

Application,  i.  When  our  divine  Saviour  lived  on 
earth,  He  was  very  kind  and  friendly  towards  children. 
He  loved  them  dearly  and  was  fond  of  their  company.  Now 
suppose  you  were  all  alone  at  home  engaged  in  some  work, 
and  all  at  once  the  door  opens,  and  in  comes  to  you  our 
dear  Saviour,  our  God.     What  would  you  do  ?     Would  you 


THE  SACRIFICE  OF  THE  MASS         411 

not  stop  working,  and  go  to  meet  our  Saviour,  kneel  down 
before  Him  and  adore  Him?  What  would  you  say  to 
Him?  Would  you  not  bid  Him  welcome,  thank  Him  for 
coming  to  you,  and  tell  Him  how  much  you  love  Him? 

In  the  holy  Mass  the  same  kind,  loving  Saviour  daily 
comes  at  the  Consecration  from  heaven  in  order  to  visit 
you.  Should  you  not,  therefore,  when  the  bell  rings  for 
Mass,  put  everything  aside  and  joyfully  hasten  to  the 
church?  Will  you  not,  in  order  to  visit  our  Saviour  at 
Mass,  rise  daily  half  an  hour  earlier?  It  is  not  very  nice 
when  we  must  force  the  children  to  go  to  Mass. 

At  the  Consecration  the  little  bell  at  the  altar  rings  so 
clearly.  You  hear  its  fine  voice  three  times.  You  should 
rejoice  when  you  hear  its  sound.  But  each  time  you  should 
think  on  what  your  Lord  and  God  says  to  you  by  means  of 
that  bell :  "  It  is  I,  your  Lord  and  God,  who  now  come  to 
you.  Kneel  down  and  adore  Me."  And  all  in  church, 
young  and  old,  are  already  on  their  knees,  bowing  their 
heads,  beating  their  breast  and  adoring  our  divine  Saviour. 

2.  Johnny  was  a  pious  little  boy,  five  years  old.  One  day 
with  his  mother  he  visited  the  superioress  of  a  convent. 
The  superioress  was  preparing  hosts.  As  soon  as  little 
Johnny  saw  the  hosts,  he  became  very  serious.  Then  he 
cautiously  took  one  of  the  hosts  in  his  hand  and  kissed  it 
so  devoutly.  Then  the  superioress  said :  "  Johnny,  our 
Saviour  is  not  yet  in  it."  "  Oh,"  replied  Johnny,  "  I  know 
this  quite  well ;  but  to-morrow  during  Mass  Jesus  will  come 
into  it,  and  he  will  find  my  kiss  there."  So  you  see  that 
Johnny  already  kissed  that  host  devoutly,  because  it  was  to 
be  changed  next  day  into  the  Saviour's  body.  How  much 
more  devoutly  must  you,  then,  venerate  at  the  Consecration 
the  Host,  which  is  Jesus  Himself ! 


4i2  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

6.  Hearing  Mass. 

Object.  To-day  I  will  speak  again  about  the  Mass,  and 
will  teach  you  how  you  must  behave  during  Mass. 

I.    THE   OFFERTORY. 

Development  —  Oar  Saviour's  gift.  What  is  repre- 
sented on  the  vestment  worn  by  the  priest  when  he  says 
Mass?  Who  really  carried  a  cross  on  his  back?  Our 
Saviour  then  sacrificed  Himself  for  us  on  the  cross. 
Where  does  the  Saviour  always  renew  this  sacrifice  for  us  ? 
But  here  Jesus  offers  Himself  through  the  hands  of  the 
priest.  Whose  place  does  the  priest  take  at  the  altar,  in 
order  to  offer  up  the  sacrifice  of  the  Mass?  For  whom 
does  our  Saviour  offer  this  sacrifice?  For  all  Christians, 
but  especially  for  those  who  are  present.  When  the  priest 
dressed  in  the  vestments  for  Mass  goes  to  the  altar  to  say 
Mass,  our  Saviour  thus  addresses  you :  "  Now,  My  child, 
I  go  to  offer  Myself  for  thee  through  the  hands  of  the 
priest."  To  whom  does  our  Saviour  offer  Himself  during 
Mass  through  the  hands  of  the  priest?  To  His  heavenly 
Father.  What  does  He  offer?  Himself.  Which  is  then 
our  Saviour's  offering?  Our  Saviour  Himself.  Under 
what  appearances?  When  does  the  offering  or  sacrifice 
become  our  Saviour  Flimself?  At  the  Consecration.  At 
the  Offertory  it  is  only  bread  and  wine.  At  the  Offertory 
the  priest  already  speaks  of  the  bread  and  wine,  as  if  they 
were  the  true  body  and  the  true  blood  of  Jesus.  What  does 
he  call  the  offering?     Spotless.     Why  a  spotless  offering? 

The  offering  of  Christians.  But  you  also  should  offer 
along  during  Mass.  What  do  you  need  for  this?  An 
offering.  What  did  Cain  offer?  What  was  Abel's  offer- 
ing? Which  lamb  and  which  fruits  did  Cain  and  Abel 
offer?  The  finest  and  the  best.  What  could  you  offer  to 
God  ?  Money ;  a  candle.  But  at  Mass  God  does  not  seek 
money  or  candles  as  an  offering.     God  desires  something 


HEARING  MASS  413 

of  your  own  selves.  This  you  have  already  learned  (see 
Part  on  the  Commandments).  What  does  He  say  to  you? 
"  My  child,  give  Me  thy  heart."  You  should,  therefore, 
offer  Him  your  heart.  You  should  offer  Him  your 
thoughts,  words  and  actions,  all  that  you  have,  and  all  that 
you  are,  your  whole  self. 

The  precious  gift.  But  God  is  so  great,  so  rich,  so 
powerful,  so  beautiful.  Therefore,  the  offering  we  make 
to  God  ought  to  be  precious.  What  kind  of  offering,  or 
gift,  should  you  make  to  God?  But  you  are  only  poor, 
sinful  children.  Your  thoughts,  words  and  actions,  all  that 
you  have,  and  all  that  you  are,  are  not  precious  in  the  sight 
of  God.  Now  our  loving  Saviour  comes  and  says  to  you : 
"  Take  Me  under  the  appearances  of  bread  and  wine,  and 
offer  Me  to  the  heavenly  Father.  I  wish  to  be  Myself  your 
offering."  But  there  is  nothing  in  the  whole  world  so  good 
and  so  precious  as  this  offering.  Even  the  heavenly  Father 
has  nothing  better.  Because  this  offering  is  His  own  only- 
begotten  and  well-beloved  Son  under  the  appearances  of 
bread  and  wine.  How  much  is  this  offering  worth  in  the 
sight  of  God?     God  is  most  pleased  with  this  offering. 

The  offerings  combined.  Wherefore  when  the  priest,  at 
the  Offertory,  offers  to  the  heavenly  Father  His  divine  Son 
under  the  appearances  of  bread  and  wine,  that  is  also  your 
offering.  Where  has  the  priest  placed  the  offering?  Also 
in  what?  Place  there  also  all  your  thoughts,  words  and 
actions,  and  all  that  you  have  and  are,  and  especially  your 
heart.  By  doing  so  your  offering  and  our  Saviour's  offer- 
ing will  be  united  into  one  offering.  Now  how  much  is 
your  offering  worth  in  the  sight  of  God?  Wherefore, 
when  the  priest  at  the  Offertory,  holds  upward  the  little 
gilt  plate  and  the  chalice  to  God  Almighty,  imagine  you  are 
standing  alongside  the  priest  at  the  altar  and  are  offering 
in  your  hands  with  the  priest  the  little  gilt  plate  and  the 
chalice  to  the  heavenly  Father.  At  the  same  time  you 
should  say :     "  My  God,  with  the  priest  at  the  altar,  I  offer 


4i4  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

Thee  all  my  thoughts,  words  and  actions,  all  that  I  have, 
all  that  I  am,  all  that  I  do  and  suffer ;  and  especially  I 
offer  Thee  my  heart.  Deign  graciously  to  accept  this  my 
offering.  I  unite  it  with  the  unbloody  sacrifice  of  Thy 
Divine  Son,  which  the  priest  offers  Thee  on  the  altar." 
(Rehearse.) 

The  heavenly  Father's  pleasure  in  our  offering.  The 
heavenly  Father  will  consider,  not  so  much  you  and  your 
offering,  as  the  offering  of  His  Son,  whom  you  hold  with 
your  own  on  the  little  gilt  plate.  And  the  heavenly  Father 
cannot  but  graciously  and  willingly  accept  your  offering,  as 
He  did  the  offering  of  the  innocent  Abel. 

Application,  i.  In  giving  your  heart  to  God,  you  give 
Him  little  indeed.  But  since  our  Saviour  deigns  to  join 
Himself  to  your  offering,  your  offering  becomes  very  pre- 
cious. Should  you  not  then  be  fond  of  going  to  hear  Mass  ? 
Would  it  be  too  much  for  you  daily  to  rise  half  an  hour 
earlier  than  you  do  now,  in  order  to  go  to  Mass?  Could 
any  one  believe  that  there  are  Catholic  children  who  talk 
during  Mass?  Should  you  not  always  assist  devoutly  at 
Mass? 

2.  When  Cain  and  Abel  made  their  offerings  to  God,  they 
both  gave  the  best  they  had.  Both  of  them  knelt  down, 
with  their  hands  joined  in  prayer.  And  yet  God  was 
pleased  with  only  one  of  the  offerings.  Which  one  was 
that?  And  with  which  one  was  He  not  pleased?  Why  did 
Abel's  offering  please  God  ?  Because  he  had  a  good  heart ; 
because  there  was  love  and  devotion  in  his  heart.  Why 
did  not  Cain's  offering  please  God?  Because  his  heart  was 
wicked ;  because  there  was  no  love,  no  devotion  in  it.  What 
did  God  consider  in  their  offerings?  God  pays  attention 
to  the  heart ;  a  good  heart  is  the  chief  thing  in  our  offerings 
to  God. 

You  should  then  during  Mass  give  your  heart  to  our 
Saviour  that  He  may  offer  it  to  His  heavenly  Father.  But 
if  your  heart  is  worthless,  because  of  the  sins  that  fill  it ! 


HEARING  MASS  415 

Would  it  not  be  a  shame  for  our  Saviour  to  offer  such  a 
heart  to  His  heavenly  Father?  Would  it  be  right  to  bring 
to  Mass  a  heart  that  is  envious,  immodest,  impure,  dis- 
obedient and  angry,  or  that  lies,  curses,  or  steals?  No! 
Wre  may  offer  to  God  only  good  thoughts,  good  words,  and 
good  actions,  that  is,  a  good  heart. 

Wherefore  when  you  pray  thus  at  the  Offertory :  "  My 
God,  I  offer  Thee  all  my  thoughts,  words  and  actions,"  you 
should  resolve  to  have  no  envious,  impure,  angry  thought, 
not  to  lie,  curse,  speak  impurely,  not  to  steal  or  do  anything 
immodest.  When  you  pray :  "  I  especially  offer  Thee  my 
heart,"  you  must  resolve :  "  I  will  do  my  best  to  have  a 
heart  free  from  sin,  and  I  will  love  God  with  my  whole 
heart."  Only  then  is  your  prayer  at  the  Offertory  true : 
"  My  God,  I  offer  Thee  all  my  thoughts  .  .  .  and  especially 
my  heart." 

II.    THE    CONSECRATION. 

Object.  Which  principal  part  of  the  Mass  follows  the 
Offertory?  I  will  now  tell  you  what  you  should  do  at  the 
Consecration. 

The  reception  of  the  King.  Who  comes  from  heaven  on 
the  altar  at  the  Consecration  ?  Our  Saviour  is  the  King  of 
heaven  and  earth.  When  the  king  visits  a  place,  he  is  re- 
ceived solemnly  by  his  subjects.  The  streets  are  decorated 
with  triumphal  arches,  flags,  etc.  Old  and  young  in  their 
Sunday  clothes,  girls  dressed  in  white,  all  go  to  meet  him, 
to  show  him  their  joy  and  affection.  And  when  the  king 
makes  his  appearance,  there  is  an  outburst  of  cheers  almost 
without  end. 

Our  Saviour's  reception  in  Jerusalem.  The  Jews  once 
received  Jesus  in  the  same  way.  When,  on  Palm-Sunday, 
Jesus  entered  Jerusalem  as  a  king,  children  and  grown  per- 
sons turned  out  in  their  fine  clothes  to  meet  Him.  They 
carried  palm  and  olive  branches  in  their  hands  and  cheered 
Him,  repeating:     "  Hosanna  in  the  highest!     Blessed  is  He 


4i6  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord.  Hosanna  in  the 
highest." 

Our  Saviour's  reception  in  holy  Mass.  Which  King 
comes  down  upon  the  altar  at  the  Consecration?  It  is  the 
King  of  kings,  the  greatest  of  lords,  the  very  Son  of  God, 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  I.  Therefore,  when  the  priest 
comes  near  the  Consecration,  he  bows  his  head,  saying  three 
times :  "  Holy,  holy,  holy,  Lord  God  of  hosts ;  heaven  and 
earth  are  full  of  Thy  glory.  Hosanna  in  the  highest." 
Then  standing  upright,  he  makes  the  sign  of  the  cross,  say- 
ing :  "  Blessed  is  He  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 
Hosanna  in  the  highest."  2.  And  when  the  choir  sings  the 
same  words,  repeat  also  the  same  words  in  your  heart.  3. 
But  when  Jesus  is  about  to  come  really  upon  the  altar  to 
put  on  the  appearance  of  bread,  the  choir  and  every  one  in 
the  church  is  silent.  The  priest  bows  forward  and  pro- 
nounces in  a  whisper  the  words  of  consecration  first  over 
the  bread,  then  over  the  wine  in  the  chalice,  and  bends  his 
knee  to  the  floor  to  adore  our  Saviour,  and  then  raises  Him 
heavenward.  At  this  very  moment  the  heavenly  Father 
looks  down  from  heaven  on  the  altar.  There  He  sees  the 
most  lovely,  beautiful  and  holy  of  all  things  in  the  hands  of 
the  priest.  He  sees  His  well-beloved,  only-begotten  Son 
under  the  appearances  of  bread  and  wine  offering  Himself 
to  Him  on  the  altar.  No  human  eye  has  ever  so  joyfully 
looked  upon  a  human  being,  as  the  heavenly  Father's  eye 
looks  down  upon  His  well-beloved  Son  offering  Himself 
in  sacrifice  under  the  appearances  of  bread  and  wine.  4. 
In  the  meantime  the  server  rings  the  little  bell,  and  all  in 
church  are  kneeling,  bowing  their  heads,  striking  their 
breast  and  adoring.  Whom  are  they  adoring?  Our  Sav- 
iour, the  King  of  heaven  and  earth,  our  God.  All  this  is 
to  tell  us  that  our  God  is  now  with  us,  and  to  welcome  Him 
in  our  midst. 

The  adoration  of  the  Sacred  Host  at  the  consecration. 
What  happens  to  the  bread  and  wine  at  the  Consecration? 


HEARING  MASS  417 

The  bread  is  changed  into  the  true  living  body  of  Jesus. 
Jesus,  at  the  Consecration,  comes  down,  for  the  love  of  us, 
on  the  altar,  in  order  to  live  for  us  under  the  appearance  of 
bread.  If  you  offer  all  your  thoughts,  words,  actions  and 
sufferings  to  please  God,  you  also  live  for  God.  This  is 
what  you  resolved  at  the  Offertory ;  you  should,  therefore, 
keep  that  resolution.  Wherefore,  at  the  elevation  (raising 
up)  of  the  sacred  Host,  say:  "  O  Jesus,  my  Lord  and  my 
God,  I  wish  to  live  for  Thee."  When  saying  this,  strike 
your  breast  (thus). 

But  we  cannot  see  Jesus  living  under  the  appearance  of 
bread ;  He  does  not  move ;  He  allows  Himself  to  be  laid 
down,  lifted  up  and  carried;  He  allows  His  priests  to  do 
what  they  will  with  Him.  He  appears  now  as  He  did  when 
He  sacrificed  Himself  on  the  cross  for  us.  He  is  as  if  He 
were  dead.  Also  there  is  something  in  you  which  should 
be  as  if  it  were  dead.  In  your  heart  there  is  as  an  effect  of 
original  sin,  an  inclination  to  evil.  It  tries  to  make  you  take 
pleasure  in  evil  thoughts,  to  listen  to  evil  words,  to  look  at 
evil  things,  to  speak  and  do  evil.  When  this  inclination  to 
evil  seeks  to  induce  you  to  look  on  others  with  envy,  your 
eyes  should  be  as  if  blind  and  dead,  so  that  you  may  not 
look  upon  others  with  envy.  When  you  feel  inclined  to  tell 
lies,  let  your  tongue,  for  the  love  of  God,  be  as  if  dead, 
so  that  you  may  not  tell  lies.  When  you  feel  inclined  to 
steal,  let  your  hands,  for  God's  sake,  be  as  if  dead,  so  that 
you  may  not  be  able  to  touch  the  property  of  (what  belongs 
to)  others.  In  this  way  all  that  is  evil  will  be  rooted  out  of 
your  thoughts,  words  and  actions.  You  shall  then  die  for 
Jesus.  Hence  say  also  at  the  elevation  of  the  sacred  Host : 
"  O  Jesus,  my  Lord  and  my  God,  I  wish  to  die  for  Thee." 
If  you  try  hard  to  do  away  with  everything  evil  in  you  and 
to  do  only  what  is  good,  for  the  love  of  God,  you  can  then 
truly  say :  "  O  Jesus,  my  Lord  and  my  God,  I  am  Thine, 
both  in  life  and  in  death."     (Repeat.) 

The  adoration  at  the  elevation  of  the  chalice.    At  the 


418  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

elevation  of  the  chalice  you  may  recite  this  prayer :  "  O 
Jesus,  may  Thy  blood  purify  me !  O  Jesus,  may  Thy  blood 
sanctify  me !  O  Jesus,  may  Thy  blood  lead  me  to  life  ever- 
lasting !     Amen." 

What  is  the  meaning  of  "  O  Jesus,  may  Thy  blood 
purify  me"?  From  what  should  our  Saviour's  blood  pur- 
ify you?  Where  are  your  sins?  Therefore  the  blood  of 
Jesus  should  wash  away  the  sins  in  your  soul.  What  is  the 
meaning  of  "  O  Jesus,  may  Thy  blood  sanctify  me "  ? 
Where  did  Jesus  shed  His  blood  for  us?  What  did  Jesus 
deserve  for  us  by  His  blood?  Grace.  We  pray  that  grace 
may  enter  our  soul.  What  does  grace  do  to  our  soul? 
Grace  makes  our  soul  holy.  Therefore  we  pray,  etc.? 
Where  does  a  holy  soul  go  after  death?  How  long  does 
the  soul  live  in  heaven?  Forever.  Jesus  deserved  life 
everlasting  for  us  by  shedding  all  His  blood.  Therefore 
we  pray,  etc.     (Repeat.) 

The  priest  extends  his  arms  in  prayer.  After  the  Con- 
secration the  priest  continues  to  pray  devoutly.  Have  you 
remarked  how  the  priest  then  holds  his  arms?  Extended. 
Where  did  our  Saviour  extend  His  arms?  On  the  cross. 
Whom  does  the  priest  personate  (represent)  at  the  altar? 
WThat  does  he  do  when  he  extends  his  arms? 

Our  Saviour  prays  with  extended  arms.  It  is  just  as  if 
our  Saviour  prayed  with  extended  arms.  Where  is  Jesus 
represented  with  extended  arms?  On  the  cross.  At  every 
procession  the  cross  is  carried  in  front.  On  the  feast  of 
St.  Mark,  April  25,  and  on  the  three  days  before  the  Ascen- 
sion, called  Rogation  days,  or  days  of  prayer,  there  are  pro- 
cessions with  the  singing  of  the  Litany  of  the  Saints,  to 
beseech  God  to  bless  the  newly  planted  fields,  that  they  may 
produce  good  crops.  Now  suppose  that  instead  of  the 
cross,  our  divine  Saviour  Himself  would  go  at  the  head  of 
the  procession  and  pray  with  extended  arms  for  us  and  with 
us  to  His  heavenly  Father.  Would  you  not  feel  sure  that 
God  the  Father  would  grant  our  prayers? 


HEARING  MASS  419 

Our  Saviour  prays  for  us  and  with  us.  At  the  Consecra- 
tion our  Saviour  comes  really  on  the  altar  and  places  Him- 
self at  our  head  and  prays  with  extended  arms  with  us  and 
for  us.  By  doing  this  He  reminds  His  Father  how,  when 
He  was  hanging  on  the  cross  with  extended  arms,  He  sac- 
rificed Himself  for  us  and  prayed  for  us.  Our  Saviour 
knows  all  our  wants.  He  knows  when  we  wish  to  praise 
God ;  He  knows  when  we  wish  to  thank  God  for  His  ben- 
efits; He  knows  also  when  we  wish  to  ask  God  for  some- 
thing. And  Jesus  takes  all  our  prayers  into  His  heart,  and 
offers  them  with  His  prayer  to  the  heavenly  Father  as  an 
offering. 

Our  Saviour's  prayer  is  heard  by  His  Father.  You 
surely  have  no  fear  of  not  being  heard  by  the  heavenly 
Father.  Because  you  know  that  His  well-beloved  Son 
prays  with  you  and  for  you.  God  the  Father  cannot  refuse 
to  grant  you  what  you  pray  for. 

The  prayers  said  during  Mass  are  the  most  efficacious. 
Therefore,  all  the  prayers  you  say  during  Mass  are  worth 
a  great  deal  more  than  all  your  prayers  at  other  times. 
When  you  say  at  home  your  morning  and  night  prayers, 
when  you  pray  for  your  parents,  or  to  your  guardian  angel, 
or  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  those  are  only  your  prayers, 
for  you  pray  alone.  But  when  you  pray  during  holy  Mass, 
Jesus  Christ  unites  His  prayer  and  offering  with  your 
prayer  and  offering.  When  you  make  your  offering,  Jesus 
offers  it  with  you;  when  you  pray,  Jesus  prays  with  you; 
when  you  sing,  Jesus  sings  with  you  and  offers  all  to  His 
heavenly  Father.  Therefore  by  your  prayers  during  Mass 
you  obtain  far  more  graces  and  blessings  than  when  you 
pray  at  other  times. 

We  must  also  pray  devoutly.  But  there  is  one  thing 
necessary  in  all  this.  You  must  pray  devoutly  during  Mass, 
in  order  that  your  prayer  may  please  our  Saviour,  and  that 
He  may  let  it  enter  His  heart.     On  this  condition  holy  Mass 


420  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

becomes  a  real  happy  hour  for  you,  and  you  will  surely 
receive  all  the  good  you  pray  for. 

Application,  i.  You  know  who  conies  during  Mass 
upon  the  altar.  It  is  our  Saviour  Himself  who  sacrifices 
Himself  and  prays  for  us.  Wherefore,  if  you  wish  to 
obtain  some  favor  from  God,  for  instance,  that  your  sick 
father  or  mother  should  get  well,  or  that  some  one  may 
help  you  in  your  poverty  or  distress,  go  to  hear  Mass,  and 
pray  devoutly  therein.  And  after  the  Consecration,  be- 
seech our  Saviour  to  place  your  prayer  in  His  sacred  heart, 
and  offer  it  with  His  prayer  and  sacrifice  to  His  heavenly 
Father.  Such  a  prayer  will  please  the  heavenly  Father, 
and  He  will  surely  grant  it. 

2.  On  some  other  occasion,  you  may  wish  to  thank  God 
for  the  cure  of  your  mother,  or  you  wish  God  to  help  you 
to  be  more  obedient,  to  be  less  inclined  to  impatience,  to 
anger,  etc.  Go  to  hear  Mass,  and  at  the  Offertory  place 
your  request  on  the  little  gilt  place,  and  beg  our  Saviour  to 
offer  it  with  His  offering  to  His  heavenly  Father.  You 
will  thereby  greatly  please  our  Saviour  and  His  heavenly 
Father. 

3.  During  Mass  the  smallest  gift  you  offer  to  God  has 
infinite  value.  Suppose,  you  wish  to  offer  a  nickel  to  God 
during  Mass.  That,  surely,  is  not  much.  Now  a  rich  man 
comes  to  you  and  gives  you  $100,000,  that  you  may  offer 
that  sum  to  God.  To  that  big  sum  you  add  your  nickel  and 
make  an  offering  of  it  all  to  God  during  Mass.  The 
heavenly  Father  is  surely  pleased  with  that  offering. 
But  you  ought  to  offer  your  heart  to  God  during  Mass. 
But  you  are  a  poor  sinful  child,  and  your  heart,  in  God's 
estimation,  is  worth  scarcely  a  nickel.  But  there  is  a  gift, 
an  offering  worth  far  more  than  $100,000.  What  gift  is 
that?  Our  divine  Saviour  Himself.  Our  Saviour  gives 
Himself  to  you  in  holy  Mass  as  a  gift  which  you  are  to 
offer  to  God.  That  is  what  is  represented  by  the  $100,000. 
And  which  is  your  nickel?     Your  heart.     Now  add  your 


HEARING  MASS  421 

nickel,  that  is,  your  heart,  to  the  $100,000,  that  is,  our 
Saviour,  and  make  out  a  gift,  an  offering,  out  of  them,  and 
bring  it  during  Mass  to  the  heavenly  Father.  How  much 
is  your  offering  worth  in  His  estimation?  What  does  it 
cause  Him? 

4.  Suppose  you  were  to  hear  that  a  rich  man  was  going 
to  distribute  $100,000  among  the  people.  How  you  would 
hasten  to  him !  During  every  Mass  our  divine  Saviour  dis- 
tributes a  great  deal  more  than  $100,000.  He  gives  more 
than  all  the  money  in  the  world.  He  sacrifices  Himself  to 
His  heavenly  Father,  and  distributes  the  immense  graces 
which  He  deserved  for  us  on  the  cross.  Then  hasten  to 
church  to  hear  Mass,  in  order  to  obtain  as  many  graces  as 
possible,  as  you  would  to  that  rich  man  to  get  as  much 
money  as  possible. 

5.  I  will  now  relate  to  you  another  anecdote.  There  was 
once  a  pious  farmer  who  went  every  day  to  Mass.  He  had 
become  accustomed  to  do  so  when  he  was  a  school-boy. 
He  continued  to  do  so  even  when  he  was  old.  When  work- 
ing in  the  field  he  would  hear  the  bell  ringing  for  Mass,  he 
left  everything  lie  and  went  to  church.  On  a  certain  day 
he  was  in  the  field  when  he  heard  the  bell  ringing  for  Mass. 
The  distance  to  the  church  was  great,  and  he  was  already 
tired  from  his  work.  On  his  way  to  church  he  thought  by 
himself :  "  I  am  already  old  and  walking  is  hard  for  me. 
From  now  I  will  go  to  hear  Mass  only  when  I  am  at  home. 
From  the  field  I  will  not  go  to  Mass  in  future.  God  will 
surely  not  be  displeased  with  me  for  this."  As  he  was 
thinking  over  this  in  his  mind,  he  heard  some  one  walking 
behind  him.  He  turned  around  to  see  who  it  was,  and 
what  does  he  see?  A  bright  angel.  The  angel  said  to  him : 
"  Do  not  do  that,  I  advise  you,  but  go  every  day  to  hear 
Mass,  as  you  have  been  accustomed  to  do.  Because  at  each 
step  you  take  on  the  way  to  church,  a  rose  springs  up  from 
your  footstep.  Therefore  as  many  roses  grow  as  you  take 
steps  to  go  to  church.     See,  here  are  the  roses  I  culled 


422  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

to-day."  And  the  angel  showed  a  large  pile  of  roses. 
The  angel  continued  speaking:  "  If  you  go  to  Mass  every 
day  until  you  die,  I  will  place  on  your  head  in  heaven  a 
splendid  wreath  of  roses."  After  saying  this,  the  angel  dis- 
appeared. You  may  imagine  that  the  pious  farmer  con- 
tinued fervently  and  cheerfully  to  go  to  Mass  every  day. 

What  the  angel  said  to  the  farmer,  is  applicable  to  you 
also.  By  devoutly  hearing  Mass  you  receive  each  time 
many  graces  from  God.  Each  of  these  graces  is  like  a 
blooming  rose.  If  you  wish  to  wear  a  wreath  of  such 
roses,  be  sure  to  go  daily  to  church  and  devoutly  hear  Mass. 

III.    THE   COMMUNION. 

Object.  Which  is  the  third  principal  part  of  the  Mass? 
What  takes  place  at  holy  Communion?  I  will  now  tell  you 
how  you  should  act  at  holy  Communion. 

Our  Saviour  gave  His  body  and  blood  to  the  apostles  as 
the  food  of  their  soul.  What  did  our  Saviour  at  the  Last 
Supper  give  to  His  apostles  to  eat  and  drink  ?  Under  what 
appearances?  What  kind  of  food  is  our  divine  Saviour 
under  the  appearances  of  bread  and  wine?  Food  of  the 
soul.  Which  are  the  words  our  Saviour  said  when  He  gave 
this  food  of  the  soul  to  His  apostles  ? 

You  need  food  for  your  body.  Your  mother  also  gives 
you  to  eat  and  drink.  But  that  food  is  not  for  your  soul. 
What  is  it  for?  For  the  body.  Why  does  your  mother 
give  you  to  eat  and  drink  ?  To  make  me  grow,  to  make  me 
strong  and  healthy.  What  would  become  of  you,  if  you 
would  get  no  food?     I  would  get  sick  and  die. 

You  need  food  for  your  soul  also.  Your  soul  also  can 
get  sick.  How?  When  I  commit  a  sin.  And  how  could 
your  soul  also  die  with  regard  to  heaven?  By  committing 
a  mortal  sin.  To  remain  healthy,  your  soul  also  needs 
food. 

The  food  of  your  soul  is  our  divine  Saviour  in  holy  Com- 
munion.    You  know  already  which  is  the  food  of  your  soul. 


HEARING  MASS  423 

You  know  that  our  Saviour  said  to  the  apostles :  "  Take 
and  eat,  for  this  is  My  body."  He  says  the  same  to  you 
also :  '  Take  ye  and  eat,  for  this  is  My  body."  Is  not  that 
a  precious  food?  It  is  a  sweet  heavenly  bread.  Your 
mother  rejoices  when  you  greatly  relish  your  food.  In  like 
manner,  our  Saviour  rejoices,  when  Christians  relish  the 
food  of  their  soul. 

Through  our  divine  Saviour  your  heart  becomes  in  holy 
Communion  a  house  of  God.  Where  does  our  Saviour  en- 
ter as  our  food?  Into  our  heart.  Therefore  our  living 
Saviour  lives  in  your  heart.  What  do  you  call  the  place 
where  God  dwells?  The  house  of  God,  a  church.  What 
is  your  heart  when  Jesus  dwells  in  it?     The  house  of  God. 

The  house  of  God  in  your  heart  should  be  pure  and  holy. 
The  house  in  which  God  dwells,  is  holy.  How  should  your 
heart  be  as  a  place  in  which  God  dwells?  Holy.  From 
what  should  it  be  cleansed?     From  sin.    - 

Transition.  If  your  soul  is  not  pure,  you  are  not  fit  nor 
worthy  that  our  Saviour  should  enter  it. 

Object.  I  will  now  relate  to  you  an  anecdote  of  a 
prominent  man.  That  man  did  not  believe  himself  worthy 
that  our  Saviour  should  go  to  him. 

Relation.  The  servant  of  a  Roman  officer  at  Caphar- 
naum  was  very  sick.  He  was  already  very  near  death. 
The  officer  loved  his  servant  and  was  anxious  for  his  cure. 
Therefore  he  sent  some  of  his  friends  to  Jesus  to  ask  Him : 
"  Lord,  be  so  good  as  to  cure  my  servant."  Jesus  at  once 
went  along  with  the  messengers.  When  he  got  near  the 
officer's  house,  the  officer  himself  came  out,  and  said  to 
Jesus :  "  Lord,  I  am  not  worthy  that  Thou  shouldst  enter 
under  my  roof ;  but  say  only  one  word,  and  my  servant  shall 
be  healed."  Jesus  replied  to  the  officer :  "  Go,  and  as  thou 
hast  believed,  be  it  done  to  thee."  At  that  very  moment 
the  servant  was  cured. 

Consideration  —  The  sick  servant  of  the  officer. 
Where  did  that  man  live,  about  whom  I  have  been  speak- 


424  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

ing?  Capharnaum  is  a  town  in  the  Jewish  country.  What 
was  that  man?  A  Roman  officer.  He  was,  then,  a  promi- 
nent man.  What  did  I  relate  about  his  servant?  The 
officer  was  very  sorry,  and  was  very  anxious  that  his  serv- 
ant should  get  well.  The  physicians  in  the  city  could  do 
nothing  more  for  him. 

The  officer's  confidence.  The  officer  had  heard  that 
Jesus  had  cured  many  sick  persons.  Therefore  he  hoped 
that  Jesus  would  cure  his  servant  also.  Whom  did  he  send 
to  Jesus  ?  What  did  he  wish  them  to  say  to  Jesus  ?  Jesus 
was  immediately  ready  to  go  and  cure  the  servant.  How 
do  you  know  that? 

The  officer's  humility.  Jesus  was  already  near  the  of- 
ficer's house.  The  officer  saw  that  Jesus  Himself  was  com- 
ing. He  almost  got  frightened.  The  officer  had  not 
expected  that  Jesus  Himself  would  do  him  so  great  an 
honor  as  to  come  to  him.  He  thought  in  himself :  "  How 
then  can  I  be  worthy  to  receive  Jesus  into  my  own  house? 
I  am  too  mean  to  be  so  greatly  honored,  for  I  am  such  a 
sinner.  I  do  not  deserve  the  honor."  But  the  officer  was 
a  prominent  man ;  he  had  many  soldiers  under  him  who 
had  to  strictly  obey  his  every  command,  and  also  servants 
to  wait  on  him.  And  yet  he  felt  so  little  and  so  mean  in 
comparison  with  Jesus.  He  believed  he  was  of  no  account 
in  comparison  with  the  Saviour.  In  a  word,  the  officer  was 
humble. 

The  officer's  faith.  The  officer  also  believed  that  Jesus 
could  cure  his  servant  without  seeing  him,  and  did  not  need 
to  come  to  his  house  to  do  so.  He  knew  that  Jesus  had 
only  to  say  one  word,  and  his  servant  would  be  healed. 
What  did  the  officer  do,  when  he  saw  Jesus  coming  to  his 
house?  What  did  he  say  to  Jesus?  Of  what  does  the 
officer  consider  himself  not  worthy?  The  word  roof  here 
means  house.  He  could  have  said,  into  my  house,  instead 
of  under  my  roof.  Wrhy  did  he  consider  himself  un- 
worthy of   receiving  our  Saviour  into  his  house?     What 


HEARING  MASS  425 

made  the  officer  believe  that  our  Saviour  could  cure  his 
servant  ? 

The  officer's  reward.  What  did  Jesus  answer  him? 
What  happened  at  that  very  moment?  The  servant  was 
cured.  Why  was  our  Saviour  able  to  cure  the  servant  by 
a  single  word? 

Our  Saviour  loves  to  give  Himself  in  holy  Communion  to 
us,  if  zee  are  humble.  The  almighty  Saviour  who  would 
go  into  the  house  of  the  officer  of  Capharnaum,  wishes  to 
come  to  us  also  in  holy  Communion.  Where  does  our 
Saviour  wish  to  dwell  when  He  comes  to  us  ?  What  should 
our  heart  then  be  for  our  Saviour?  But  no  human  heart 
is  pure  enough  for  our  Saviour.  Therefore  no  man  is 
worthy  enough  to  receive  Jesus  into  his  heart.  Every  one, 
even  the  greatest  saint,  must  think :  "  How  little  and  how 
mean  I  am  in  comparison  with  our  divine  Saviour !  How 
unfit  I  am  to  receive  my  Saviour  into  my  heart !  "  But 
who  can  make  our  heart  so  pure  and  so  beautiful,  as  to 
make  us  worthy?  Our  Saviour  Himself.  He  would  need 
only  to  do  what  sufficed  to  cure  the  officer's  servant,  that 
is,  to  say  only  a  word. 

The  priest  humbles  himself  before  holy  Communion. 
Wherefore  when  the  priest  saying  Mass  comes  to  the  Com- 
munion, in  which  our  Saviour  is  to  come  to  him,  the  priest 
uses  the  very  words  of  the  Roman  officer :  "  Lord,  I  am 
not  worthy  that  Thou  shouldst  enter  under  my  roof."  By 
the  word  roof,  the  priest  means  the  house  or  dwelling  of 
his  heart.  What  else  did  the  officer  say?  The  priest, 
however,  says :  "  But  say  only  the  word,  and  my  soul  shall 
he  healed."  Repeat  now  all  that  the  priest  says  before  holy 
Communion.  This  he  says  three  times,  striking  his  breast 
each  time.  And  you  should  do  the  same.  (Repeat  all.) 
Then  the  priest  receives  our  Saviour  with  great  reverence. 
And  with  the  same  reverence  he  drinks  our  Saviour's  pre- 
cious blood  from  the  chalice. 

The    real    or    sacramental    Communion.     After    Com- 


426  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

munion  our  dear  living  Saviour  dwells  in  the  priest's  heart 
as  God  and  man,  with  soul  and  body,  flesh  and  blood.  The 
soul  of  the  priest  and  the  holy  soul  of  Jesus  are  now,  as  it 
were,  one.  The  heart  of  the  priest  and  the  sacred  heart  of 
our  Saviour  are  now  one,  as  it  were.  The  holy  heart  of 
Jesus  now  beats  in  the  heart  of  the  priest.  The  priest  lives 
no  more,  but  it  is  Jesus  that  lives  in  him.  And  so  it  is  also 
with  all  Christians  who  receive  our  Saviour  in  holy  Com- 
munion. 

Spiritual  Communion.  When  you  see  the  priest  and 
some  of  the  faithful  receiving  Jesus  in  holy  Communion, 
you  perhaps  think :  "  Oh,  could  I  also  receive  our  Lord ! 
Oh,  if  He  would  also  come  into  my  heart  in  holy  Com- 
munion, how  happy  would  I  be " !  You  have  a  desire,  a 
longing  to  receive  Jesus.  Jesus  also  longs  to  be  received 
by  you  in  holy  Communion.  And  if  you  are  not  able,  or 
not  prepared  to  receive  Him  really  in  holy  Communion,  you 
can,  nevertheless,  receive  Him  invisibly,  spiritually  by  your 
ardent  desire  and  by  asking  Him  to  come  spiritually  into 
your  heart.  But  your  heart  should  be  free  from  sin.  How 
can  you  then  make  it  free  from  sin?  By  praying  Jesus  to 
purify  your  soul,  saying:  "O  my  Jesus,  purify  my  heart 
from  every  sin.  I  am  sorry  for  them  all ;  forgive  me  my 
sins."  Then  after  saying,  "  O  Lord,  I  am  not  worthy," 
etc.,  say :  "  O  Jesus,  I  love  Thee  above  all  things,  and  I  de- 
sire to  receive  Thee  into  my  heart ;  but  since  I  cannot  now 
receive  Thee  in  reality  (sacramentally),  come  at  least  spirit- 
ually into  my  heart.  I  unite  myself,  as  if  Thou  wert  al- 
ready there;  permit  me  not  to  be  separated  from  Thee." 
You  may  make  a  spiritual  Communion  not  only  at  the  Com- 
munion of  the  priest  and  the  faithful  during  Mass,  but  also 
any  other  time  either  in  church,  or  at  home,  or  elsewhere. 
(Rehearse  spiritual  Communion.) 

The  smallest  house  of  God.  Our  Lord,  as  you  have 
heard,  chooses  for  His  dwelling,  the  smallest  house  on 
earth,  that  is,  the  heart  of  man.     Although  it  is  so  little,  it 


HEARING  MASS  427 

draws  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth  into  it.  Therefore, 
children,  keep  your  heart  pure  and  devout,  and  Jesus  will 
choose  it  as  His  dwelling  and  never  more  leave  it. 

Connection  —  The  Consecration  is  the  most  important 
part  of  the  Mass.  What  do  the  priest  and  the  faithful 
receive  in  holy  Communion?  Under  what  appearances? 
When  does  the  bread  and  wine  become  the  body  and  blood 
of  Jesus?  What  were  they  at  the  Offertory?  Blessed 
bread  and  wine.  What  would  they  be,  if  the  Communion 
would  immediately  follow  the  Offertory?  What  would 
they  remain,  if  there  were  no  Consecration  after  the  Offer- 
tory ?  What  would  they  still  remain,  at  the  Communion,  if 
the  Communion  would  immediately  follow  the  Offertory? 
Which  part  is,  then,  the  most  important  in  the  Mass,  which 
gives  the  real  value  to  the  Mass? 

The  Consecration  is  the  soul  of  the  Mass.  There  is  a 
similarity  between  the  Mass  and  a  man.  What  is  the  body 
of  a  man  without  the  soul  ?  What  makes  the  body  a  living 
body?  Wrhat  would  the  bread  and  wine  in  the  Mass  re- 
main, if  there  was  no  consecration?  What  causes  the 
bread  and  wine  to  become  in  the  Mass  the  living  body  and 
blood  of  Jesus?  Therefore,  we  call  the  Consecration  the 
soul  or  heart  of  the  Mass.  As  the  body  without  a  soul  is 
dead,  so  the  Mass  would  be  dead  without  the  Consecration. 

Summary.  At  the  Offertory  we  should  offer  to  God  our 
thoughts,  words  and  actions.  Therefore  we  should  resolve 
to  have  only  good  thoughts,  good  words  and  good  actions. 
At  the  Consecration,  or  elevation  we  should  adore  our 
Saviour,  and  place  our  prayer  in  His  heart,  so  that  our 
heavenly  Father  may  sooner  grant  it.  At  the  Communion 
we  should  receive  our  Saviour  spiritually.  It  would  be 
well  for  every  child,  when  they  do  not  sing,  to  use  a  prayer- 
book  during  Mass,  or,  at  least,  to  say  the  beads.     (Insist.) 

Application,  i.  Ought  you  not  to  be  glad  to  go  to  hear 
Mass?  Would  it  be  too  hard  for  you  to  get  up  half  an 
hour  earlier  in  the  morning  in  order  to  come  to  Mass?     It 


428  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

is  hard  to  believe  that  there  are  children  who  talk  in  church 
during  Mass.  2.  It  would  be  well  if  you  would  say  some- 
times :  "  O  Jesus,  come  to  me,  for  I  long  for  Thee.  Thou 
art  my  soul's  best  friend,  I  cannot  live  without  Thee.  O 
Jesus,  come  to  me,  for  I  long  for  Thee." 

7.  The  Worship  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 

DEVELOPMENT. 

The  whole  world  is  the  house  of  God.  Where  is  God? 
He  is  here  in  the  school,  in  the  street,  in  the  fields,  in  the 
woods,  where  the  sun  rises,  and  where  the  sun  sets.  He 
is  present  everywhere  all  over  the  world.  The  whole 
world  is  the  wonderfully  beautiful  house  of  God.  Can  we 
see  God?  No,  for  God  is  invisible  to  our  bodily  eyes. 
How,  then,  is  God  present  everywhere?     Invisibly  present. 

Heaven  is  the  house  of  God.  Where  shall  we  see  God? 
In  heaven  God  is  visibly  present.  Heaven  is  the  wonder- 
fully beautiful  palace  of  God.  There  He  is  seated  on  His 
golden  throne.  Around  Him  are  countless  angels  and 
saints.  They  see  God  face  to  face;  they  see  His  wonder- 
ful beauty.  They  never  weary  seeing  Him.  They  are  con- 
tinually day  and  night  adoring  and  praising  Him,  and  lov- 
ing Him,  with  all  their  might,  and  singing:  "  Holy,  holy, 
holy  Lord  God  of  hosts."  Heaven  is  filled  with  their 
beautiful  chant. 

The  church  is  the  house  of  God.  God  wishes  to  be 
visibly  with  us,  and  to  dwell  visibly  among  us.  What  is  it 
that  you  need  to  live  in?  WThat  does  God  need  to  live 
among  us?  A  house.  Therefore  God  allows  men  on 
earth  to  build  Him  a  house  of  His  own.  How  beautiful 
is  God?  How  rich?  How  powerful?  How  great? 
What  kind  of  a  house  should  He  have?  A  large  and 
beautiful  house.  Therefore  men  build  God  a  house  as  large 
and  as  beautiful  as  they  can.  God's  house  should  be  the 
largest  and   the   most  beautiful   in  a   place.     Inside   it   is 


THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT  429 

beautifully  painted,  adorned  with  fine  paintings,  statues, 
altars  and  stained  glass  windows.  The  altars  should  be 
especially  beautiful.  Why?  Because  there  the  priest  daily 
says  Mass  and  brings  the  Son  of  God  down  from  heaven. 
At  Mass  the  priest  wears  beautiful  and  costly  vestments, 
for  he  therein  serves  and  worships  God.  For  God's  serv- 
ice we  should  always  use  what  is  best  and  most  precious ; 
and  even  the  best  and  most  costly  thing  in  the  world  is  not 
good  enough  for  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth. 

The  tabernacle  is  the  throne-room  or  hall  of  God  in  the 
church.  A  king,  a  president  has  in  his  house  a  room  that 
is  more  beautiful  than  any  other,  where  he  gives  receptions 
to  those  who  go  to  pay  their  respects  to  him.  Who  can 
tell  which  is  the  heavenly  King's  throne-room  in  the  church  ? 
It  is  the  smallest  throne-room  in  the  world.  But  in  this 
small  throne-room  in  the  world  is  seated  the  greatest  King 
of  the  universe,  the  King  of  heaven  and  earth.  (Describe 
the  tabernacle  in  your  church  —  both  the  outside  and  the 
inside.)  The  ciborium  is  the  golden  throne  of  the  Lord 
of  heaven  and  earth.  Its  richly  embroidered  red  silk  cover 
is  the  mantle  of  this  greatest  of  monarchs.  But  where  is 
this  almighty  Lord  and  King?  When  the  priest  opens  the 
ciborium,  he  bends  the  knee  to  the  floor,  and  why?  Be- 
cause in  the  ciborium  is  the  King  Himself.  In  the  stable 
of  Bethlehem  there  lay  a  Child  so  little,  so  lovely,  so  beauti- 
ful, enveloped  in  swaddling-clothes  in  the  crib.  And  yet 
this  Child  was  the  greatest  Monarch  in  the  world.  But 
here  in  the  ciborium  the  same  Monarch  is  still  smaller. 

The  hidden  King  and  God.  Suppose  you  had  come  with 
the  shepherds,  on  the  night  when  Jesus  was  born,  to  see 
and  adore  the  Infant  Jesus ;  and  Jesus  was  asleep,  and  the 
blessed  Virgin  had  covered  Him  with  her  veil ;  and  you 
could  not  have  seen  the  Infant  Jesus  and  His  pretty  face. 
Would  you  have  said  the  Infant  Jesus  was  not  under  the 
veil,  because  you  could  not  see  Him?  Would  you  for  that 
reason  have  refused  to  believe  that  the  Infant  Jesus  was 


430  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

the  Saviour  of  the  world,  the  King  of  heaven  and  earth? 
Would  you  have  refused  to  adore  Him,  because  the  veil 
concealed  Him  from  your  sight? 

But  in  the  ciborium  the  same  divine  Infant  is  really  to 
be  found.  But  what  appearance  has  He  in  the  Blessed 
Sacrament?  What  color  has  He  under  the  appearance  of 
bread?  He  is  there  just  as  if  He  was  covered  with  a 
thick  white  veil,  so  that  He  cannot  be  seen.  Does  that 
prevent  you  from  believing,  that  the  living  Infant  Jesus 
is  really  in  the  ciborium?  Did  not  our  Saviour  Himself 
say  that  under  the  white  appearance  of  bread  He  is  wholly 
present  and  alive?  To  whom  did  He  say  this?  How  did 
He  say  this?  Therefore  under  the  white  veil  of  the  ap- 
pearance of  bread  there  is  really  concealed  the  same  Infant 
Jesus,  who  was  enveloped  in  swaddling-clothes  and  laid 
in  the  crib.  The  tabernacle  in  the  church  is  like  the  stable 
of  Bethlehem  and  the  house  of  Nazareth  where  Jesus  lived ; 
here  we  have  the  same  living  Saviour,  who  is  seated  on  a 
throne  at  the  right  of  God  the  Father.  The  tabernacle 
in  God's  house  is  heaven  itself  on  earth. 

The  most  humble  adoration.  In  heaven  God  can  be  seen. 
During  divine  service  in  church  on  Sunday  afternoon  or 
evening  our  divine  Saviour  is  exposed  outside  the  taber- 
nacle, so  that  all  may  see  Him  either  in  the  ciborium  or  in 
the  monstrance.  Around  Him  many  candles  are  lit.  The 
priest  and  altar  boys  kneel  on  the  lowest  step  of  the  altar. 
In  the  body  of  the  church  all  the  faithful,  both  children 
and  grown  people,  are  also  kneeling,  to  adore  their  Saviour 
and  Redeemer,  their  Lord  and  God,  their  heavenly  King. 
And  from  His  high  throne,  the  Saviour  looks  on  all  pres- 
ent, like  a  king  on  his  subjects. 

How  grave  and  friendly  is  the  house  of  God !  How 
dear  and  lovely !  How  joyfully  and  devoutly  the  people 
sing !  How  they  pray  from  their  inmost  hearts !  And 
why?  Because  God  is  there!  Therefore  the  faithful 
come  from  far  and  near  into  His  presence,  to  adore,  thank, 


THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT  431 

praise  and  beseech  Him.  At  the  end  our  Saviour  gives 
His  blessing  to  all.  Before  this  the  priest  bows  low  to  our 
Lord  and  incenses  Him  with  the  censer ;  the  smoke  of  in- 
cense wafted  up  to  the  throne  on  which  Jesus  is  placed, 
denotes  the  prayers,  love  and  adoration  of  the  faithful 
ascending  to  Jesus  like  the  sweet-scented  incense.  The 
priest  then  takes  in  his  hands  the  monstrance  in  which 
Jesus  is  exposed  to  view  under  the  appearance  of  bread, 
and  with  it  makes  the  sign  of  the  cross  over  all  present  in 
the  church.  The  faithful  receive  our  Saviour's  blessing 
kneeling,  bowing  low,  and  striking  their  breast,  adoring 
their  Lord  and  God. 

This  reminds  us  of  the  wise  men  before  the  Infant  Jesus 
at  Bethlehem.  How  did  they  venerate  the  Infant  Jesus? 
They  prostrated  themselves  and  adored  Him.  They  took 
off  their  kingly  crowns  and  bowed  down  to  the  ground 
before  the  Infant  Jesus.  Although  they  were  kings,  they 
knew  that  in  presence  of  the  divine  Child,  they  were  as  a 
mere  nothing.  What  were  the  wise  men,  because  they 
made  such  little  account  of  themselves  before  the  Infant 
Jesus?  They  were  humble.  And  all  men,  even  the 
bishop,  the  Pope  himself,  kings  and  emperors,  the  most 
noble  persons  on  earth,  are,  in  comparison  with  our  Sav- 
iour in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  but  mere  servants.  There- 
fore, how  should  all  men  without  exception  act  towards  our 
divine  Saviour?  In  an  humble  manner.  How  do  we 
show  ourselves  humble  towards  Him?  By  kneeling  and 
bowing  before  Him.  And,  while  doing  this,  what  else 
should  we  do?  Adore  Him.  Therefore  we  must  adore 
our  Saviour  in  deep  humility.  The  real  presence  of  our 
Saviour  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  requires  that  we  most 
humbly  adore  Him.  After  benediction  (the  blessing  of 
Jesus)  the  Blessed  Sacrament  is  replaced  in  the  tabernacle. 

Jesus  dwells  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  Here  our  Sav- 
iour dwells  among  us.  Here  He  has  His  own  house  among 
the   houses  of   the  people.     He   lives   in  our  midst  as  a 


432  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

friendly  neighbor,  who  came  from  afar  off.  And  as  in  the 
earthly  paradise  men  could  converse  with  God,  so  now  we 
can  come  near  the  tabernacle  to  converse  with  our  loving 
Saviour.  He  remains  near  us  day  and  night,  and  will  not 
leave  us ;  so  greatly  does  He  love  us. 

The  prayer  of  Jesus  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  What 
does  our  Saviour  do  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  in  the  taber- 
nacle? He  looks  with  His  all-seeing  eye  on  all  who  are 
in  the  church ;  He  looks  at  them,  when  they  leave  the 
church ;  He  looks  at  all  who  remain  at  home ;  He  looks 
also  at  the  graveyard  where  so  many  crosses  mark  the 
places  where  lie  the  dead.  And  our  Saviour  extends  His 
hands  over  all,  and  prays  for  them,  for  the  living  and  the 
dead,  blessing  all ;  He  never  tires  praying  and  blessing. 
He  watches  over  all.  When  all  are  asleep,  our  Saviour 
watches,  prays  and  blesses  always.  No  one  can  pray  so 
well  as  our  Saviour.  He  prays  best  of  all,  and  that  so 
quietly. 

The  frequent  znsit  to  Jesus  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament. 
Have  you  not  some  quiet  evening  entered  the  church  and 
seen  a  little  red  light  glittering  and  trembling?  That  is 
the  light  of  the  sanctuary  lamp  always  burning  before  the 
tabernacle.  It  is  like  the  bright  star  that  guided  the 
Magi  on  the  way  to  Bethlehem,  and  stood  still  when  they 
reached  the  stable.  What  did  the  Magi  learn  from  this? 
That  the  Saviour,  newly  born,  was  in  there.  And  when 
you  see  that  little  glittering  red  light  in  the  church,  what 
do  you  conclude  ?  Is  it  not  that  it  is  there  that  our  Saviour 
dwells,  watches  and  prays?  Does  it  not  say  to  you  with 
its  fiery  little  tongue :  "  Here  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
your  Lord  and  God,  your  best  Friend  is  continually 
present "  ? 

People  love  to  go  often  to  visit  their  good  friends,  and 
this  sometimes  every  day  or  even  several  times  a  day. 
And  are  you  not  glad  to  go  and  see  your  uncle,  your  aunt, 
etc.,  especially  if  they  always  give  you  something  good? 


THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT  433 

Therefore,  what  should  you  do  in  reference  to  our  Saviour, 
who  is  your  best  friend?  Visit  Him  often.  That  is  what 
that  little  lamp  tells  you,  whose  light  you  can  see  from 
outside  glittering  and  trembling  on  the  windows  of  the 
church.  That  light  tells  you :  "  Oh,  come  to  your  Saviour 
in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  do  not  let  Him  remain  al- 
ways alone."  And  our  Saviour  Himself  desires  your  com- 
pany; for  He  waits  day  and  night  for  you  to  come.  He 
says  to  each  of  you :  "  I  am  thy  God.  Oh,  come  to  Me 
and  visit  Me."  Should  you  not  rejoice  to  be  permitted 
to  visit  our  Saviour?  Nowhere  are  you  more  welcome 
than  in  church.  You  should  like  it  as  much  as  your  own 
home.  If  you  are  long  absent  from  home,  how  glad  you 
are  to  go  back  to  your  dear  father  and  mother.  In  like 
manner  should  you  not  be  glad  to  be  able  to  go  to  Jesus? 

On  which  day  should  you  always  visit  our  dear  Lord 
in  church?  Every  Sunday.  Especially  at  holy  Mass. 
And  at  what  other  time?  Which  is  the  best  time  on  week 
days  for  doing  so?  You  may  visit  our  Lord  during  the 
day,  even  when  there  is  no  divine  service  in  church.  Could 
you  not,  when  passing  before  a  church,  step  in  for  a  while 
and  pay  a  short  visit  to  Jesus  ?  Could  you  not  do  the  same 
when  you  have  free  time  for  yourself?  Our  Saviour  is 
always  there  at  home  and  always  has  time  to  listen  to  you. 
If  you  enter  the  church  during  the  day,  you  will  often  find 
nobody  in  the  church.  You  are  then  alone  with  Jesus. 
How  friendly  and  lovely  does  it  not  seem  in  church !  You 
can  then  speak  confidently  to  our  Lord,  and  open  your 
heart  to  Him. 

What  then  should  urge  you  often  to  go  into  the  church? 
The  real  presence  of  our  Saviour  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament, 
which  is  in  the  church.  Because  Jesus  is  really  there,  we 
should  often  visit  Him. 

The  adoration  full  of  the  most  intimate  love.  On  enter- 
ing the  church,  be  sure  to  make  a  genuflexion.  The  genu- 
flexion is  the  greeting  we  owe  to  our  Saviour.     In  what 


434  THE  HOLY  EUCHARIST 

direction  do  you  look  when  you  genuflect?  Towards  the 
tabernacle.  Do  not  make  the  genuflexion  like  the  old 
people  who  can  no  longer  bend  down.  How  far  should 
your  knee  go  down,  when  you  genuflect  to  our  Saviour? 
Down  to  the  floor  (ground).  You  then  go  to  kneel  in 
your  place.  It  is  not  becoming  to  sit  down  before  our 
Saviour.  This  may  be  done  only  during  the  sermons  and 
instructions.  It  is  much  less  becoming  to  talk,  laugh,  etc., 
in  presence  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  To  do  so  is  very 
irreverent.  The  Lord  is  in  His  own  house ;  let  the  whole 
world  be  silent  before  Him. 

When  you  have  knelt  down  in  your  place,  make  an  act 
of  adoration,  saying :  "  O  Jesus,  I  believe  that  Thou  art 
really  present  here  in  thy  church ;  I  adore  Thee  as  my  Lord 
and  my  God,  as  my  loving  Saviour."  Then  you  may  con- 
tinue, saying :  "  O  my  dear  Saviour,  I  have  come  to  visit 
Thee,  and  to  tell  Thee  how  much  I  love  Thee.  How 
happy  I  am  in  being  now  near  Thee.  How  glad  I  would 
be,  if  I  could  now  receive  Thee  into  my  heart.  How  I  long 
to  receive  Thee ;  but  since  I  cannot  now  do  so  sacrament- 
ally,  come  spiritually  into  my  heart.  O  dear  Infant  Jesus, 
deign  to  come  now  into  my  heart.  I  embrace  Thee,  as  if 
Thou  wast  already  there ;  I  unite  myself  to  Thee ;  permit 
me  not  to  be  separated  from  Thee."  Then  pray  Jesus 
to  grant  you  certain  graces  you  desire  for  yourself,  your 
parents,  and  all  who  are  dear  to  you. 

What  holy  boy  was  so  fond  of  praying  in  church  before 
the  tabernacle?  St.  Stanislaus.  There  was  his  favorite 
place.  How  long  would  Stanislaus  remain  kneeling  before 
the  tabernacle?  In  what  direction  was  he  always  looking? 
He  never  grew  tired  of  adoring  our  Saviour  in  the  Blessed 
Sacrament.  What  did  he  then  feel  in  his  heart  towards 
our  Saviour?  How  could  people  perceive  exteriorly  the 
love  St.  Stanislaus  bore  in  his  heart  towards  our  Saviour? 
His  face  was  resplendent  with  joy.  In  a  word,  St.  Stanis- 
laus adored  our   Saviour  in  the  Blessed   Sacrament  with 


THE  BLESSED  SACRAMENT  435 

the  deepest  love.  You  should  also  do  the  same,  when  you 
visit  our  Saviour  in  the  tabernacle.  If  you  from  your 
inmost  heart  pray  there  to  our  Lord,  your  heart  will  beat 
and  your  face  will  brighten,  like  the  face  and  heart  of  St. 
Stanislaus.  How  then  will  you  adore  our  divine  Saviour? 
With  the  deepest  love.  Why  should  you  do  so?  Because 
our  Saviour  is  truly  present  in  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  and 
His  presence  therein  demands  this  of  us.  Prayer  is  the 
most  beautiful  thing  in  the  world.  Nowhere  can  we  pray 
better  than  before  the  tabernacle,  for  therein  is  the  eye  of 
God,  the  very  heart  of  God.  The  Saviour  looks  at  you, 
and  you  look  at  the  Saviour. 

Summary.  What  does  the  presence  of  Jesus  Christ  in 
the  Blessed  Sacrament  demand  of  us?  That  we  should 
often  visit  Him  and  most  profoundly,  humbly  and  lovingly 
adore  Him. 

Application  —  The  feast  of  Corpus  Christi;  the  feast 
of  the  Blessed  Sacrament.  How  is  the  feast  of  Corpus 
Christi  celebrated  in  Catholic  countries?  Once  a  year  our 
divine  Saviour  comes  out  of  His  dwelling  in  the  tabernacle. 
He  allows  Himself  to  be  carried  in  procession  through  the 
streets.  A  beautifully  embroidered  silk  canopy  represent- 
ing heaven  is  carried  above  our  Lord  in  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment by  the  best  and  most  prominent  men  of  the  place  or 
parish.  The  others  accompany  with  lighted  candles.  Girls 
dressed  in  white  form  a  kind  of  wreath  around  our  Sav- 
iour. At  the  head  of  the  procession  is  the  cross;  then 
follow  the  children,  the  women,  the  men,  then  the  altar 
boys ;  then  little  girls  dressed  in  white  each  with  a  basket 
of  flowers  to  scatter  them  on  the  way  before  our  Lord ; 
then  some  altar  boys  with  bells,  others  with  censers  to 
incense  the  Blessed  Sacrament;  finally  the  canopy  under 
which  the  priest  carries  the  monstrance,  exposing  our  Sav- 
iour in  the  sacred  Host  to  view,  having  on  each  side  of 
him  the  deacon  and  the  subdeacon,  all  clothed  in  the  most 
beautiful    and    costly    vestments.     The    procession    passes 


436   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

through  the  streets  and  alongside  the  houses  all  covered 
with  beautiful  arches  and  decorations.  During  the  proces- 
sion beautiful  hymns  are  sung  by  the  faithful.  Along  the 
route  of  the  procession  several  altars,  or  repositories,  as 
they  are  called,  have  been  erected  and  grandly  decorated. 
When  the  Blessed  Sacrament  arrives  at  a  repository,  there 
is  a  halt,  and  the  priest  places  the  monstrance  containing 
our  Saviour  on  the  repository,  and  all  kneel  down  wherever 
they  are.  The  hymn  and  prayers  for  benediction  are  sung, 
and  then  the  priest  gives  benediction  to  all  with  the  Blessed 
Sacrament.  After  this  the  procession  is  resumed  until  the 
next  repository  is  reached,  where  the  same  ceremonies  are 
repeated.  After  leaving  the  last  repository,  the  procession 
returns  to  the  church  where  benediction  with  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  is  given  with  the  usual  ceremonies.  Then  the 
grand  hymn  of  thanksgiving,  the  Te  Deum  is  sung.  When 
this  is  over,  the  Blessed  Sacrament  is  replaced  by  the  priest 
in  the  tabernacle.  Such  is  the  grand  Corpus  Christi  pro- 
cession, in  which  Catholics  publicly  manifest  their  lively 
faith  in  and  their  deepest  love  for  Jesus  in  the  Blessed 
Sacrament. 


THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE,  AND,  AT  THE 
SAME  TIME,  AN  INSTRUCTION  FOR  THE  FIRST 

CONFESSION. 

8.  The  Institution  of  the  Sacrament  of  Penance. 

Preparation  —  God  alone  can  forgive  sins.  i.  Who 
commands  in  your  house?  What  must  the  children  do, 
when  their  parents  command  them  something?  Who  com- 
mands or  makes  laws  in  a  country?  What  must  the  people 
then  do?  Who  commands  in  heaven  and  on  earth?  Al- 
mighty God.  When  God  commands,  what  must  men  do? 
How  many  commandments  has  God  given  ? 

2.  When  a  child  does  not  obey  his  father,  it  pains  his 


GOD  FORGIVES  SINS  437 

father.  The  child  then  pains,  offends  his  father.  What 
does  a  child  do  to  God,  when  he  disobeys  God?  And 
what  does  the  child  then  commit?  How  does  a  father  feel 
towards  a  disobedient  child?  Displeased,  angry.  How  is 
God  disposed  towards  the  sinner?  What  does  a  child  de- 
serve for  disobeying  his  father?  What  does  the  sinner 
deserve  for  disobeying  God?  What  punishment  does  the 
sinner  deserve  for  a  venial  sin?     And  for  a  mortal  sin? 

3.  Let  us  suppose  that  Charles  has  offended  his  father. 
But  Charles  is  sorry  for  it,  and  is  anxious  that  his  father 
should  again  become  pleased  with  him.  What  must 
Charles  then  say  to  his  father?  But  Charles  goes  to  his 
mother  and  says  to  her :  '  Mother,  please  forgive  me  for 
having  offended  my  father."  But  his  mother  replies : 
"  You  must  not  come  to  me  for  that,  but  you  must  go  to 
father."  Why  does  Charles'  mother  send  him  to  his  father 
to  beg  pardon  for  his  fault?  Because  Charles  offended 
his  father.  His  mother  cannot  forgive  him  for  having 
offended  his  father.  Only  he  can  forgive  who  has  been 
offended. 

Whom  do  we  offend  when  we  commit  sin?  From  whom 
then  must  the  sinner  obtain  forgiveness? 

I.  Object.     I  will  now  show  you  that  God  forgives  sins. 

Development.  Who  were  the  first  to  commit  sin  on 
earth?  What  did  they  thereby  do  to  God?  How  was  God 
disposed  towards  them  on  this  account?  God  was  angry 
with  them  and  punished  them  for  it.  What  did  they  lose 
in  their  soul  by  their  sin?  Whose  children  did  they  cease 
to  be  ?  Where  could  they  no  longer  go  ?  Where  were  they 
no  longer  to  remain?  Where  would  their  soul  have  gone 
after  their  death?  But  our  first  parents  wished  to  obtain 
the  forgiveness  of  their  sin.  Who  could  alone  forgive  their 
sin?  What  had  they  to  say  to  God  in  order  to  obtain  it? 
And  they  really  did  this.  They  asked  God  to  forgive  them. 
How  must  they  have  silently  asked  this  of  God?  God  then 
had  mercy  on  them.     He  promised  them  a  Redeemer,  and 


438    THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

forgave  their  sin.  The  heavenly  Father  really  sent  the 
promised  Redeemer.  Who  is  it?  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son 
of  God. 

II.  Object.  I  will  show  you  to-day  that  the  Redeemer, 
when  on  earth,  forgave  sins. 

Relation.  One  day  Jesus  was  teaching  in  a  house  at 
Capharnaum.  The  house  was  full  of  people  listening  to 
Him.  Four  men  were  carrying  a  paralytic  in  his  bed ; 
they  laid  him  down  before  Jesus.  They  believed  that 
Jesus  would  cure  him.  When  Jesus  saw  their  faith,  he 
said  to  the  paralytic :  "  Son,  be  of  good  heart ;  thy  sins 
are  forgiven  thee."  Our  Saviour  wished  also  to  cure  him. 
Therefore  He  said  to  him :  "  Arise,  take  up  thy  bed,  and 
go  home."  The  paralytic  was  cured  by  these  words ;  he 
rose,  took  up  his  bed  and  went  home. 

Consideration  —  The  sickness  in  soul  and  body. 
Where  was  Jesus  teaching  on  a  certain  day?  A  paralytic 
lived  in  Capharnaum.  A  paralytic  is  a  man  who  is  very 
sick,  and  can  neither  walk  nor  stand.  No  doctor  could 
cure  that  paralytic.  This  paralytic  had  got  his  sickness  as 
a  punishment  for  his  sins.  His  soul,  on  account  of  his 
sins  had  become  more  sick  than  even  his  body.  How  then 
was  he  sick?  When  the  paralytic  heard  that  Jesus  was 
in  the  city,  he  hoped  that  Jesus  would  cure  him.  How  did 
he  come  to  Jesus?     Where  did  those  four  men  place  him? 

The  contrition  of  the  paralytic.  When  the  paralytic  was 
lying  down  in  front  of  Jesus  and  gazed  on  the  sacred  face 
of  Jesus,  he  at  once  thought  of  his  many  sins.  He  reflected 
on  how  he  had,  by  his  sins,  grievously  offended  God,  and 
this  thought  pained  him  in  his  heart  more  than  his  bodily 
pains.     He  was  very  sorry  for  his  sins. 

The  forgiveness  of  sins.  Our  Saviour  knew  why  the 
paralytic  had  got  so  sick.  He  saw  also  how  sorry  he  was 
for  his  sins,  because  they  offended  God.  Our  Saviour 
consoled  him.  What  did  He  say  to  him  ?  At  that  moment 
the  soul  of  the  paralytic  was  purified  of  all  its  sins,  and  was 


GOD  FORGIVES  SINS  439 

clothed  with  a  bright  garment.  Which  garment  do  I  mean  ? 
God  and  the  angels  were  pleased  with  him.  And  whose 
child  did  he  become?  And  where  would  he  be  allowed  to  go 
later  on? 

The  remission  of  the  eternal  punishment.  What  would 
have  become  of  the  paralytic,  if  he  had  died  in  his  sins? 
The  devils  had  already  been  waiting  a  long  time,  to  draw 
his  soul  down  into  the  abyss  of  hell,  to  bury  it  in  the  fire. 
For  how  long?  That  would  have  been  the  eternal  punish- 
ment for  his  sins.  The  eternal  punishment  accompanies 
mortal  sin  just  as  the  shadow  accompanies  the  child.  A 
child  stands  in  the  sunlight.  What  does  he  see  alongside 
of  him?  His  shadow.  He  goes  away;  what  accompanies 
him?  His  shadow  accompanies  him  wherever  he  goes. 
But  if  he  gets  away  from  the  sunlight,  what  leaves  him? 
His  shadow.  The  same  is  the  case  with  the  eternal  pun- 
ishment of  hell.  So  long  as  there  is  a  mortal  sin  in  the  soul 
of  a  child,  the  eternal  punishment  of  hell  stands  alongside 
of  him,  and  it  follows  him,  just  like  the  shadow  follows 
the  body.  But  when  mortal  sin  is  removed  from  the  soul, 
what  is  it  that  is  also  removed?  The  eternal  punishment 
of  hell.  What  did  our  Lord  forgive  or  remit  to  the  para- 
lytic besides  his  sins?     The  eternal  punishment  of  hell. 

The  remission  of  the  temporal  punishment.  But  the  par- 
alytic's body  also  was  sick.  What  did  our  Saviour  say  to 
him  about  it?  What  did  the  paralytic  do  at  once?  Why 
had  God  sent  him  his  sickness?  Sickness  was,  therefore, 
a  punishment  for  his  sins.  How  long  would  his  sickness 
have  naturally  lasted?  Until  his  death.  That  is,  only  for  a 
time.  A  punishment  that  lasts  only  for  a  time,  is  called  a 
temporal  punishment.  What  kind  of  punishment  was  the 
sickness  of  the  paralytic?  What  kind  of  punishment  did 
our  Lord  remit  to  him,  when  He  cured  him  of  his  sickness  ? 
The  temporal  punishment. 

Summary.  Tell  me  what  did  our  Saviour  remit  to  the 
paralytic?     1,  His  sins;  2,  the  eternal  punishment  due  to 


440   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

his  sins;  3,  the  temporal  punishment  of  his  sins.  And 
what  gift  did  He  bestow  on  his  soul?  Whose  child  did 
he  become?    And  where  had  he  the  right  to  go? 

Application.  How  light  and  glad  that  man  must  have 
felt  when  on  his  way  home!  Everything  had  been  for- 
given him.  He  was  cured,  and  his  soul  was  wonderfully 
beautiful.  There  was  peace  and  happiness  in  his  soul. 
And  he  was  resolved :  "  I  will  nevermore  in  my  life  com- 
mit sin." 

Transition.  In  like  manner,  our  Saviour  forgave  the 
sins  of  many  others,  when  He  was  still  on  earth.  But  He 
willed  that,  after  His  Ascension  until  the  end  of  the  world, 
men  should  be  able  to  have  their  sins  forgiven. 

III.  Object.     I  will  now  tell  you  how  this  is  done. 

Preparation.  I  have  told  you  how  Charles  had  to  ask 
his  father  to  forgive  him,  that  his  father  might  again  be 
pleased  with  him.  Why  could  not  his  mother  forgive  him 
his  disobedience?  Who  has  the  right  to  forgive?  Now 
suppose  Charles'  father  says  to  his  mother :  "  Charles  has 
greatly  offended  me  this  day.  I  have  remarked  that  he  is 
sorry  for  it.  If  he  comes  to  you  and  says  that  he  is  sorry 
for  it,  you  may,  in  my  place,  forgive  him."  What  power 
or  commission  had  Charles'  father  given  his  mother?  May 
not  his  mother  in  that  case  forgive  him?  Yes.  Why? 
Because  she  received  the  power  to  do  so  from  his  father. 
In  whose  place  then  does  his  mother  forgive  him?  His 
father  could  have  empowered  Charles'  grandfather  or 
grandmother  to  forgive  him.  Who  then  could  also  have 
forgiven  him?  His  father,  and  every  one  whom  his  father 
would  have  empowered  to  do  so.  Who  can  alone  forgive 
sins  ?     God. 

Object.  I  will  now  relate  to  you  how  our  Saviour  gave 
the  apostles  the  power  also  to  forgive  sins. 

Relation.  On  the  evening  of  the  day  of  the  resurrec- 
tion of  Jesus,  His  apostles  were  assembled  together  in  a 
room  in  Jerusalem.     For  fear  of  the  Jews  they  had  locked 


POWER  TO  FORGIVE  SINS  441 

the  doors.  Suddenly  Jesus  stood  in  their  midst  and  said: 
"  Peace  be  to  you.  It  is  I ;  fear  not."  The  apostles  were 
glad  to  see  our  Lord.  Jesus  again  said :  "  Peace  be 
to  you.  As  the  Father  hath  sent  Me,  I  also  send  you." 
When  He  had  said  this  He  breathed  on  them,  and  said  to 
them :  "  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost.  Whose  sins  you 
shall  forgive,  they  are  forgiven  them ;  and  whose  sins  you 
shall  retain,  they  are  retained."     And  then  He  disappeared. 

Consideration  —  Our  Saviour  imparts  to  the  apostles 
the  power  of  forgiving  sins.  Where  were  the  apostles 
assembled  in  the  evening?  On  what  day  was  it?  On  the 
day  of  His  resurrection.  Who  stood  suddenly  among 
them?  What  did  our  Saviour  say  to  them?  The  apostles 
were  glad  to  see  our  Lord.  What  did  Jesus  say  the  second 
time  to  the  apostles  ?  And  what  did  He  add  ?  "  As  the 
Father  hath  sent  Me,"  etc.  For  what  had  our  Saviour 
been  sent  into  the  world?  To  redeem  men  from  sin.  He 
did  this.  How?  By  dying  on  the  cross.  What  did  He 
merit  on  the  cross  for  us  ?  Grace.  Through  grace  our  sins 
can  be  forgiven. 

Our  Saviour  willed  that  men  should  obtain  the  forgive- 
ness of  their  sins  through  the  apostles.  Therefore  He 
breathed  on  them,  and  what  did  He  say  to  them?  Whom 
did  Jesus  breathe  into  the  apostles  ?  What  words  did  Jesus 
add?  "Whose  sins  (the  sins  of  those  men  whom)  you 
shall  forgive,"  etc. 

What  does  Charles'  father  empower  his  mother  to  do, 
if  Charles  comes  to  her  and  tells  her  he  is  sorry  for  hav- 
ing disobeyed  father?  What  power  did  his  father  give  to 
his  mother?  In  whose  place,  then,  does  his  mother  for- 
give him?  In  this  case  the  mother's  forgiveness  is  just 
as  good  as  if  his  father  had  himself  forgiven  him.  When 
our  Saviour  said  to  the  apostles :  "  Whose  sins  you  shall 
forgive,  they  are  forgiven  them  " ;  He  gave  them  a  power, 
that  is,  the  power  to  forgive  sins  in  His  place.  Where- 
fore, when  the  apostles  said  to  some  one :     "  Your  sins  are 


442    THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

forgiven  you,"  they  were  as  truly  forgiven,  as  if  our  Sav- 
iour Himself  had  said  it  to  him. 

What  did  Jesus  say  to  the  paralytic,  when  He  forgave 
him  his  sins?  And  what  happened,  when  Jesus  had  said 
this?  The  apostles  could  do  the  very  same  thing,  after 
Jesus  had  said  to  them :  '  Whose  sins,"  etc.  By  these 
words  He  gave  the  apostles  the  power  to  forgive  sins.  In 
whose  place  did  the  apostles  forgive  sins?  The  apostles 
forgave  sins  in  the  place  of  God. 

Our  Saviour  empowered  the  apostles  to  retain  sins.  Our 
Saviour  did  not  merely  say  to  the  apostles,  "  whose  sins  you 
shall  forgive  shall  be  forgiven  them,"  but  he  also  added : 
"  And  whose  sins  you  shall  retain,  they  are  retained." 

Now  suppose  that  Bertha  and  her  brother  Francis  have 
each  badly  burnt  one  of  their  hands.  The  physician  wishes 
to  put  a  poultice  on  their  hands,  which  at  first  will  cause 
them  pain.  Bertha  submits  and  her  hand  soon  gets  healed. 
But  Francis,  feeling  pain,  tears  off  the  plaster  from  his 
hand.  The  doctor  puts  it  on  again.  But  Francis  at  once 
pulls  it  off  again.  Then  the  doctor  says  to  him :  "  You 
can  keep  your  sore  hand  " ;  and  then  the  doctor  departs. 
Whose  hand  has  the  doctor  rid  of  its  soreness?  Bertha's. 
And  to  whose  hand  did  he  leave  its  soreness? 

The  same  applies  to  sins.  When  the  apostles  said  to 
some  one :  "  Thy  sins  are  retained,"  what  was  the  effect 
of  these  words?  Therefore  to  retain  sins  means  not  to 
take  them  away,  not  to  forgive  them.  What  power  did 
our  Saviour  give  His  apostles,  when  He  said :  "  Whose 
sins  you  shall  retain,  they  are  retained"?  When  the  apos- 
tles retained  the  sins  of  some  one,  his  sins  were  not  for- 
given. What  the  apostles  would  not  forgive,  God  would 
not  forgive  either. 

When  did  Jesus  give  to  His  apostles  the  power  of  for- 
giving and  retaining  men's  sins?  After  His  resurrection. 
How  did  He  give  them  that  power?  He  breathed  on  them 
and  said,  etc.     When  our  Saviour  did  and  said  this,  He 


POWER  TO  FORGIVE  SINS  443 

instituted  the  sacrament  of  penance.  On  what  day  was 
that? 

Priests  also  can  forgive  sins.  What  power  did  our 
Saviour  give  His  apostles  at  the  Last  Supper?  To  whom 
was  this  power  transmitted?  When  do  bishops  and  priests 
exercise  this  power?  In  like  manner  the  power  of  for- 
giving and  retaining  men's  sins  has  been  transmitted  from 
the  apostles  to  bishops  and  priests.  But  they  cannot  do 
this  in  their  own  name.  But  in  whose  place  have  they 
this  power?  In  which  sacrament  do  they  exercise  this 
power?  What,  then,  is  the  sacrament  of  penance?  It  is 
a  sacrament  in  which  the  priest  in  the  place  of  God  forgives 
sins. 

All  sins  can  be  forgiven.  You  have  already  received  a 
sacrament  in  which  a  sin  was  forgiven  you.  Which  sacra- 
ment is  it?  Which  sin  was  forgiven  in  the  sacrament  of 
baptism?  What  other  sins  besides  does  baptism  forgive  a 
grown  person?  But  if,  after  baptism,  a  person  commits 
a  mortal  sin,  that  person  cannot  have  it  forgiven  by  baptism, 
for  baptism  can  be  administered  not  more  than  once.  And 
yet  a  man's  mortal  sins  committed  after  baptism  must  be 
forgiven  to  enable  him  to  keep  out  of  hell.  Wherefore  our 
Saviour  instituted  another  sacrament  to  forgive  the  sins 
committed  after  baptism.  Which  sacrament  is  it?  What 
sins  are  forgiven  by  the  sacrament  of  penance?  The  sins 
committed  after  baptism. 

Who  was  it  that  believed  his  sins  were  so  great,  that  God 
would  not  forgive  him?  Cain.  Judas  also  believed  that 
his  sin  was  so  great  that  God  would  not  forgive  him.  But 
that  is  not  true.  Our  Saviour  forgave  the  sins  of  the  par- 
alytic, of  St.  Peter,  of  the  robber  and  murderer  on  the 
cross.  Cain  and  Judas  could  also  have  obtained  the  for- 
giveness of  theirs.  God  is  goodness  itself,  and  is  willing 
to  forgive.  He  forgives  all  sins,  even  the  most  grievous. 
Which  sins  are  forgiven  in  the  sacrament  of  baptism? 
Which  sins  can  be  forgiven  in  the  sacrament  of  penance? 


444   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

In  the  sacrament  of  penance  the  eternal  punishment  is 
remitted.  What  punishment  does  mortal  sin  draw  upon 
the  sinner?  The  endless  punishment  of  hell.  What  pun- 
ishment does  venial  sin  draw  upon  the  sinner?  A  tem- 
poral punishment  either  in  this  world  or  in  purgatory. 
What  did  our  Saviour  remit  to  the  paralytic  together  with 
his  sins?  In  like  manner,  in  the  sacrament  of  penance  the 
endless  punishment  of  hell  is  remitted  together  with  the 
sins. 

In  the  sacrament  of  penance  at  least  a  part  of  the  tem- 
poral punishment  is  remitted  with  the  sins.  What  punish- 
ment still  remained  to  the  paralytic  after  our  Saviour  had 
remitted  his  sins  and  their  endless  punishment?  The 
temporal  punishment.  What  did  our  Saviour  do  also  with 
the  temporal  punishment  due  to  the  paralytic?  He  remitted 
it  also.  In  like  manner,  in  the  sacrament  of  penance  the 
temporal  punishment  is  remitted,  but  not  always  all  of  it. 
But  a  part  of  the  temporal  punishment  is  always  remitted 
in  the  sacrament  of  penance. 

In  the  sacrament  of  penance  there  is  imparted  grace  and 
the  childship  of  God.  W'hat  was  imparted  to  the  soul  of 
the  paralytic  when  Jesus  forgave  his  sins?  The  garment 
of  sanctifying  grace.  Whose  child  did  he  then  become? 
And  where  could  he  later  on  go?  The  same  thing  happens 
to  the  sinner  in  the  sacrament  of  penance.  In  it  sanctify- 
ing grace  is  imparted  to  his  soul,  he  becomes  a  child  of 
God,  and  has  the  right  to  go  to  heaven.  What  is  remitted 
to  the  sinner  in  the  sacrament  of  penance?  i,  2,  3.  What 
does  he  receive  in  his  soul?  What  does  he  become? 
Where  has  he  the  right  to  go  after  his  death? 

We  must  be  sorry  for  our  sins.  But  not  all  receive  these 
great  graces  in  the  sacrament  of  penance.  The  priest  has 
not  only  the  power  to  remit  sins,  but  also  the  power  to 
retain  them.  Why  did  our  Saviour  remit  the  sins  of  the 
paralytic?  Because  he  was  sorry  for  them.  What  would 
our  Saviour  have  done,  if  the  paralytic  had  not  been  sorry 


NECESSITY  OF  CONFESSION  445 

for  his  sins?  He  would  not  have  remitted  them,  but  He 
would  have  retained  them.  The  priest  acts  in  like  manner 
in  the  sacrament  of  penance.  Whose  sins  does  he  retain? 
Whose  sins  does  he  forgive?  Only  the  sins  of  those  who 
are  sorry  for  them. 

We  must  confess  our  sins.  The  priest  must  know  our 
sins  before  he  can  forgive  them.  He  cannot  see  the  heart 
of  the  sinner.  Therefore  what  must  we  do,  that  the  priest 
may  know  our  sins?  We  must  tell  them,  confess  them. 
To  whom  must  we  confess  our  sins  ?  And  where  must  we 
confess  them?  Thus  did  our  Lord  command  when  He 
instituted  the  sacrament  of  penance.  What  must  we  do  to 
have  our  sins  forgiven  in  the  sacrament  of  penance?  We 
must  confess  our  sins.  Wrhy  must  we  confess  our  sins 
in  order  to  obtain  their  forgiveness?  Because  Jesus  com- 
manded this,  when  He  instituted  the  sacrament  of  penance. 

Summary.  What  must  the  sinner  do  to  obtain  the  for- 
giveness of  his  sins  from  the  priest?  He  must  be  sorry 
for  them  and  confess  them.  In  which  sacrament  does  the 
priest  forgive  sins?  In  whose  place  does  he  do  this? 
What,  then,  is  the  sacrament  of  penance?  It  is  the  sacra- 
ment in  which  the  priest,  holding  God's  place,  forgives  sins, 
if  the  sinner  is  truly  sorry  for  them  and  sincerely  confesses 
them  and  has  the  will  to  make  satisfaction  for  them. 
(N.  B.  This  will  be  explained  later  on.)  When  did  Christ 
confer  the  power  to  forgive  sins?  After  His  resurrection 
when  He  breathed  on  His  apostles,  and  said :  "  Receive  ye 
the  Holy  Ghost.  Whose  sins,"  etc.  Can  all  sins  be  for- 
given? Yes,  all  sins  committed  after  baptism  can  be  for- 
given. Why  must  we  confess  our  sins  to  obtain  their 
forgiveness?  Because  Christ  so  ordered  it  when  He  in- 
stituted the  sacrament  of  penance. 

Application,  i.  Suppose  that  you  would  now  make 
your  first  confession.  You  enter  the  church.  There  are 
two  confessionals.  In  one  the  priest  sits,  and  in  the  other 
St.   Peter.     Now  which  of  them  can  better  forgive  sins? 


446   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

The  one  can  do  it  as  well  as  the  other.  Now  suppose  there 
was  a  third  confessional,  in  which  Jesus  Christ  Himself  is 
seated.  Which  of  the  three  can  best  forgive  sins?  Why 
can  Jesus  Christ  forgive  sins?  Because  He  is  God.  Why 
can  the  apostles  forgive  sins?  Why  can  bishops  do  so? 
Why  can  priests  do  so?  Because  Jesus  gave  them  the 
power.  When  did  Christ  breathe  on  them  to  give  them  this 
power?  What  is  the  Holy  Ghost?  What  is  Christ  also? 
Who  forgives  sins  through  the  apostles,  the  bishops  and 
priests?     Who  then  can  alone  forgive  sins? 

2.  Can  your  father  or  mother  forgive  sins?  Can  an 
angel  forgive  sins?  Why  can  they  not  do  so?  From 
whom  has  the  priest  the  power  to  forgive  sins?  From 
whom  has  the  bishop  that  power?  From  whom  have  all 
the  bishops  that  power?  From  whom  have  the  apostles? 
Which  sacrament  do  they  administer  in  forgiving  sins? 

3.  How  badly  off  would  men  be,  if  Christ  had  not  in- 
stituted the  sacrament  of  penance?  Nearly  all  men  fall 
into  sin  after  their  baptism,  and  how  many  of  them  would 
be  cast  into  hell !  Also  all  of  you  have  already  committed 
sin.  Perhaps  there  is  one  among  you  who  has  already 
committed  a  mortal  sin.  How  you  should  then  thank  God 
for  instituting  the  sacrament  of  penance,  by  which  your 
sins  can  be  forgiven.  Say  with  me :  '  My  dear  Jesus,  I 
thank  Thee  from  my  heart  for  having  instituted  the  sacra- 
ment of  penance  for  us  poor  sinners."  Rejoice  at  the 
thought  that  vou  shall  soon  be  admitted  to  go  to  confession. 

9.  The  Examination  of  Conscience. 

1.  Preparation  —  Conscience.  Which  commandment 
did  God  give  to  our  first  parents?  Did  they  keep  this 
commandment?  What  did  they  commit  by  breaking  it? 
After  this  they  were  afraid  of  God.  How  do  you  know 
this?  And  how  do  you  know  it  also  from  the  words  of 
Adam?     The  hearts  of  the  first  men  beat  out  of  fear.     A 


EXAMINATION  OF  CONSCIENCE        447 

voice  in  their  heart  said  to  them :  "  Alas !  what  have  you 
done?  You  disobeyed  God."  This  voice  in  their  hearts 
was  their  conscience. 

When  Cain  had  killed  his  brother,  he  also  heard  a  voice. 
What  did  that  voice  say  to  him?  You  are  a  murderer. 
What  voice  was  that?  In  like  manner,  every  man  has  a 
conscience  that  tells,  or  reproaches  him,  when  he  has  done 
evil.  You  conscience,  like  that  of  Cain,  tells  you  when 
you  have  committed  any  evil.  How  does  it  speak  to  you? 
This  happens  every  time  you  do  anything  bad.  If  you 
would  go  to  confession  on  the  same  day,  you  would  remem- 
ber that  sin  very  easily.  But  some  days  later  your  con- 
science could  not  so  easily  tell  you  your  sin  immediately. 
Why?  You  would  have  forgotten  it.  And  how  would  it 
be,  if  you  had  committed  many  sins,  and  had  to  confess  only 
a  long  time  after?  Children  know  their  catechism  well  at 
home  after  studying  it.  But  when  they  have  to  recite  it 
the  next  day  in  school,  many  do  not  know  it  any  more. 
What  must  you  do  to  remember  it?     Reflect  a  little  on  it. 

Object.  I  will  now  tell  you  what  you  have  to  do  to 
remember  your  sins. 

2.  Development  —  Reflect.  What  reproaches  you  every 
time  you  commit  a  sin  ?  The  conscience.  Whom  must  you 
ask  when  you  wish  to  know  again  your  sins?  Conscience. 
But  it  may  happen  that  your  conscience  will  not  immedi- 
ately tell  you  all  your  sins.  Why?  Because  we  have  for- 
gotten them.  What  must  you  do  to  remember  the  cate- 
chism lesson  which  you  have  forgotten?  Try  to  call  it  to 
mind.  What  must  you  do  to  cause  your  conscience  to  tell 
you  your  sins  again?  Call  them  to  mind,  or  reflect.  But 
perhaps  your  conscience  will  not  be  able  to  tell  you  your 
sins  again.  For  it  no  longer  knows  them  all.  Who  could 
tell  a  child  many  of  the  sins  he  committed  at  home?  Father 
and  mother.  Who,  then,  can  help  a  child  to  find  out  his 
sins?  But  his  parents  could  not  tell  them  all  to  him.  Why 
not?     Who  could  tell  a  child  many  of  the  sins  he  com- 


448   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

mitted  in  school?  But  not  all.  Why  not?  Because  he 
does  not  know  all. 

The  Holy  Ghost  has  to  help.  Who  knows  all  things? 
Who  knows  also  all  the  sins,  which  a  child's  conscience 
reproached  him  with?  God.  Who  can  then  tell  a  child 
all  the  sins  he  committed?  God  has,  then,  to  help  you  to 
find  out  all  your  sins.  Now  what  must  we  do,  if  we  wish 
to  have  something  from  God?  Pray.  Wherefore,  if  you 
wish  God  to  help  you  to  find  out  your  sins,  you  must  pray 
to  God.  And,  indeed,  you  must  pray  to  the  Holy  Ghost 
to  enlighten  you,  that  you  may  find  out  all  your  sins.  For 
this  repeat  this  little  prayer :  "  O  God  the  Holy  Ghost, 
deign  to  give  me  light,  love  and  sorrow,  that  I  may  find  out 
and  detest  my  sins,  in  order  to  confess  them  sincerely.  O 
Blessed  Virgin  Mary,  help  me  to  make  a  good  confession. 
My  dear  Guardian  Angel,  help  me  to  call  to  mind  all  my 
sins."     (Rehearse.) 

Seeking  stains  on  one's  dress.  For  what  do  we  pray  the 
Holy  Ghost  to  help  us?  To  find  out  our  sins.  Now  sup- 
pose that  Bertha  wore  her  fine  white  dress  for  the  first 
time  in  the  Corpus  Christi  procession.  In  the  afternoon 
she  played  with  other  children,  and  ran  against  a  wagon ; 
her  fine  dress  was  torn  and  covered  with  black  spots.  She 
saw  it  at  once,  and  began  to  cry,  saying :  "  Oh,  my  beauti- 
ful white  dress !  "  But  soon  she  forgot  all  about  it,  for 
she  was  too  busy  playing,  and  her  dress  got  a  few  more 
black  spots.  After  this  she  became  reckless,  and  no  longer 
cared  if  her  dress  became  all  covered  with  black  spots. 
But  when  she  came  home,  her  mother  saw  the  big  black 
spot  and  the  hole  in  the  dress.  Her  mother  said :  "  Oh, 
what  a  big  black  spot  on  your  dress !  How  did  that  hap- 
pen ?  "     Bertha  knew  it  yet. 

Making  light.  Now  her  mother  wishes  to  see  if  there 
is  anything  else  the  matter  with  the  dress.  But  it  was  al- 
ready dark.  What  does  she  do?  She  lights  a  lamp,  and 
sees  more  black  spots.     She  asks  Bertha :     "  Where  do  all 


EXAMINATION  OF  CONSCIENCE        449 

those  other  spots  come  from  ?  "  But  Bertha  did  not  know 
about  all  of  them. 

The  serious  examination.  Now  Bertha's  mother  exam- 
ined the  dress  all  over,  carefully  and  minutely,  till  she 
found  every  spot  on  the  dress.  How  did  Bertha's  mother 
examine  the  dress? 

The  stained  garment  of  the  soul.  We  have  all  received 
in  baptism  a  much  more  beautiful  dress  for  our  soul  than 
Bertha's  fine  white  dress.  Which  dress,  or  garment,  do  I 
mean  ?  The  white  garment  of  sanctifying  grace.  Oh,  how 
beautiful  was  your  soul  in  that  splendid  garment!  The 
angels  gazed  at  it  with  love  and  amazement.  And  the 
heavenly  Father  Himself,  full  of  joy  over  it,  said  to  the 
angels :  "  See,  that  is  My  beloved  child,  in  whom  I  am 
well  pleased." 

What  happens  to  the  soul's  splendid  garment  through 
mortal  sin?  And  at  once  the  soul's  splendor  is  gone,  and 
its  garment  is  torn.  And  every  time  another  mortal  sin  is 
committed,  a  fresh  stain  is  added  and  a  fresh  hole  is  made. 
And  thus  is  the  soul's  garment  entirely  soiled  and  torn. 
The  soul  has  lost  its  splendor  and  it  has  become  dark  and 
gloomy. 

The  invocation  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  order  to  obtain  light 
for  the  mind.  Now  you  have  to  find  out  your  sins  in  the 
dark  and  gloomy  soul.  What  must  it  first  become,  that  you 
may  see  everything  clearly?  It  must  become  light.  What 
did  Bertha's  mother  do  in  order  to  be  able  to  see  in  the  dark 
room?  But  we  cannot  make  light  in  our  soul  in  the  usual 
way.  Wherefore  we  pray  to  the  Holy  Ghost  to  enlighten 
our  soul,  saying :  "  O  Holy  Ghost,  deign  to  enlighten  me 
that  I  may  find  out  all  my  sins." 

Enlightening  our  mind.  After  praying  for  light  to  the 
Holy  Ghost,  He  will  give  us  light  to  see  into  our  soul  and 
find  out  our  sins.  What  then  can  we  see?  The  spots  and 
holes  in  the  garment  of  our  soul. 

Serious  reflection.     W'hich  spot  did  Bertha's  mother  first 


450   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

notice  on  her  dress?  In  like  manner,  we  find  out  the  big- 
gest spots  more  easily  in  our  soul.  How  had  Bertha's 
mother  to  examine  her  dress  to  find  out  all  the  spots  in  her 
dress?  Seriously  and  carefully.  We  must  seriously  and 
carefully  seek  the  spots  in  our  soul,  and  we  shall  then  know 
all  our  sins. 

The  examination  of  conscience.  What  told  you  immedi- 
ately each  time  that  the  garment  of  your  soul  was  torn  or 
soiled?  Conscience.  Whom  should  we  then  ask  which 
sins  have  caused  all  those  spots  and  rents  (holes)  in  the 
garment  of  our  soul  ?  Our  conscience.  But  our  conscience 
cannot  immediately  tell  us.  What  must  we  do  to  enable 
our  conscience  to  tell  us  the  sins  we  have  committed?  We 
must  reflect  over  our  sins,  examine  our  conscience,  and 
this  carefully  and  seriously.  Our  conscience  will  then  tell 
us.  This  is  called  the  examination  of  conscience.  What 
is  the  examination  of  conscience?  To  examine  our  con- 
science means  to  reflect  earnestly  on  what  sins  we  have 
committed.  Who  has  to  help  us  to  examine  our  conscience  ? 
In  what  way  is  He  to  help  us? 

What  should  we  do  to  obtain  the  help  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ? 
Invoke  Him,  when  we  are  beginning  the  examination  of  our 
conscience.  How  then  should  we  begin  the  examination  of 
our  conscience?  By  invoking  the  Holy  Ghost.  What  is  it 
that  we  cannot  do  without  the  light  of  His  grace?  With- 
out the  light  of  His  grace  we  cannot  rightly  know  our  sins. 

The  heart  must  be  moved  to  be  rightly  sorry  for  sin. 
The  paralytic  first  properly  acknowledged  his  sins,  when 
Jesus  cast  on  him  His  gracious  look.  This  kind,  sorrow- 
ful look  of  Jesus  deeply  penetrated  the  soul  of  the  paralytic. 
He  then  felt  how  hateful  and  ugly  sin  is,  and  how  greatly 
it  offends  God.  Thus  his  heart  was  entirely  moved.  It 
seemed  to  him  as  if  a  sharp  instrument  had  deeply  pierced 
his  heart  and  made  a  deep  wound  in  it.  Oh,  how  it  burnt 
him  and  pained  him!  What  did  he  then  feel  in  his  heart? 
Sorrow,  grief  and  contrition.     For  what?     What  did  our 


EXAMINATION  OF  CONSCIENCE        451 

Saviour  then  do,  since  He  saw  him  so  sorry  for  his 
sins? 

If  you  wish  to  obtain  the  forgiveness  of  your  sins,  it  is 
not  enough  for  you  to  know  your  sins,  but  you  must  also, 
like  the  paralytic,  reflect  how  grievously  you  have  offended 
God,  and  how  ugly  your  sin  has  made  your  soul.  What 
will  you  then  feel  in  your  heart  for  your  sins?  Contrition. 
That  you  may  feel  it,  you  need  the  help  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Therefore  say  to  Him :  "  O  Holy  Ghost,  deign  to  move 
my  heart,  that  I  may  be  duly  sorry  for  my  sins." 

The  heart  moved  to  make  a  sincere  confession.  When 
a  child  has  real  contrition  for  his  sins,  he  is  fit  to  make  his 
confession.  But  many  children  are  greatly  afraid  of  con- 
fession. They  need  the  help  of  the  Holy  Ghost  that  con- 
fession may  not  be  too  difficult  for  them.  Therefore  they 
should  pray :  "  O  Holy  Ghost,  move  my  heart  that  I  may 
sincerely  confess  my  sins." 

The  heart  should  be  moved  to  amend.  If  a  child  wishes 
God  to  forgive  his  sins,  he  must  do  one  thing  more.  He 
must,  like  the  paralytic,  be  resolved  nevermore  to  commit 
sin,  and  to  become  better  and  more  devout,  and  to  amend. 
For  this  he  needs  again  the  help  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  There- 
fore he  should  say :  "  O  Holy  Ghost,  move  my  heart,  that 
I  really  amend  my  life."  For  which  things  do  we  need 
help  of  the  Holy  Ghost?  1  .  .  .,  2  .  .  .,  3  .  .  .,  4  .  .  . 
What  is  it  that  we  cannot  do  without  the  grace  of  the 
Holy  Ghost?  I,  Know  our  sins;  2,  be  duly  sorry  for 
them ;  3,  confess  them  sincerely ;  and  4,  amend  our  life,  that 
is,  do  better  in  the  future.  If  we  would  fail  in  these  mat- 
ters, we  could  not  have  our  sins  forgiven,  and  our  soul 
would  remain  sick  or  spiritually  dead.  And  where  is  a 
soul  denied  by  a  mortal  sin  unable  to  go?  To  heaven. 
Such  a  soul  cannot  obtain  salvation. 

3.  Summary.  We  should  begin  the  examination  of  our 
conscience  by  invoking  the  Holy  Ghost,  for  without  His 
grace  we  can  neither  know  our  sins,  nor  be  sorry  for  them, 


452    THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

nor  confess  them  properly  as  is  necessary  for  our  salva- 
tion. How  should  we  invoke  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  "  Come, 
O  Holy  Ghost,  enlighten  my  mind,  that  I  may  know  my 
sins  well,  move  my  heart,  that  I  may  be  duly  sorry  for 
them,  sincerely  confess  them,  and  really  amend  my  life." 
To  examine  our  conscience  means  to  reflect  on  what  sins 
we  have  committed. 

4.  Application.  You  should  from  now  daily  recite  an 
Our  Father  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  He  may  teach  you  how 
to  make  a  good  confession.  Do  this  after  your  night 
prayers.  You  can  say  each  time :  "  I  will  now  say  one 
Our  Father  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  He  may  help  me  to 
make  a  good  confession." 

What  should  you  do  daily?  When  is  the  best  time  to 
do  it?  What  should  you  say  each  time  before  the  Our 
Father?  Begin  this  very  evening.  I  will,  in  a  few  days, 
ask  you  whether  you  have  done  it.' 

10.  A  practical  Examination  of  Conscience. 

Preparation.  After  invoking  the  Holy  Ghost  you 
should  begin  by  reflecting  on  your  sins.  Wherefrom  have 
you  learned  about  the  sins  that  we  can  commit  ?  From  the 
commandments  of  God.  From  which  other  command- 
ments, or  precepts?  And  you  have  learned  also  about 
seven  other  sins.  Which  are  they?  The  seven  capital  sins. 
In  how  many  ways  are  sins  committed?  In  thought,  word 
and  deed,  and  omission. 

I. 

Object.  Let  us  enumerate  the  sins  which  we  have 
learned  against  the  commandments  of  God. 

1..  Which  is  the  first  commandment  of  God?  Of  what 
are  we  reminded  by  the  first  commandment?  Of  prayer. 
Which  sins  can  we  commit  with  regard  to  prayer?  He 
sins,  first,  who  does  not  say  or  omits  to  pray  every  day,  for 


EXAMINATION  OF  CONSCIENCE        453 

it  is  an  omission  of  what  we  are  bound  to  do.     Secondly, 
he  sins  who  does  not  pray  devoutly. 

2.  Which  is  the  second  commandment  of  God?  Of  what 
are  we  reminded  by  the  second  commandment?  Of  the 
name  of  God.  Which  sins  in  word  can  be  committed  with 
regard  to  the  name  of  God?  He  sins  against  the  holy 
name  of  God,  first,  who  pronounces  it  without  respect ; 
secondly,  he  who  curses;  thirdly,  he  who  swears  without 
necessity. 

3.  Which  is  the  third  commandment  of  God?  Of  what 
are  we  reminded  by  the  third  commandment?  Of  Sunday. 
What  good  action  are  we  obliged  to  perform  on  Sunday? 
What  kind  of  sin  can  be  committed  by  omitting  the  good 
action  commanded  on  Sunday  ?  Wrhen  we  by  our  own  fault 
omit  to  hear  Mass.  What  sins  can  be  committed  in  the 
church?     By  irreverence  in  church. 

4.  WThich  is  the  fourth  commandment  of  God?  On  what 
do  we  think  with  regard  to  the  fourth  commandment?  Of 
parents  and  superiors.  How  can  sins  be  committed  against 
parents  and  superiors?  First,  he  who  behaves  disrespect- 
fully or  insolently  towards  them.  Secondly,  he  who  pains 
or  angers  them.  Thirdly,  he  who  obeys  them  badly  or  dis- 
obeys them. 

5.  Which  is  the  fifth  commandment  of  God?  Of  what 
are  we  reminded  by  the  fifth  commandment?  Of  our 
neighbor.  How  can  we  sin  against  the  body  of  our  neigh- 
bor? First,  in  words  by  insulting  or  mocking  him.  Sec- 
ondly, in  actions  by  striking  him.  How  can  we  sin  against 
the  soul  of  our  neighbor?     By  leading  him  to  sin. 

6  and  9.  Which  is  the  sixth  commandment  of  God?  Of 
what  are  we  reminded  by  the  sixth  commandment?  Of  the 
vice  of  impurity.  How  are  sins  committed  through  im- 
purity? He  commits  such  a  sin  who  wilfully  thinks  on 
impure  things ;  also  he  who  talks  of  impure  things,  and 
he  who  wilfully  looks  on  impure  things,  or  listens  to  im- 
pure talk,  or  who  does  impure  actions. 


454   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

7  and  10.  Which  is  the  seventh  commandment  of  God? 
Of  what  are  we  reminded  by  the  seventh  commandment? 
Of  what  belongs  to  our  neighbor.  How  are  sins  com- 
mitted in  reference  to  our  neighbor's  goods  ?  In  actions ; 
by  pilfering;  stealing  money  at  home;  stealing  things  be- 
longing to  others;  keeping  articles  found;  injuring  or  de- 
stroying the  goods  of  others.  Also  in  thought,  by  the 
intention  or  attempt  to  steal. 

8.  Which  is  the  eighth  commandment  of  God?  Of  what 
does  the  eighth  commandment  remind  us?  Of  lying.  In 
what  can  sins  be  committed  against  the  eighth  command- 
ment? In  words  by  telling  lies,  by  detraction,  by  slander. 
In  works  by  hypocrisy. 

Let  us  now  enumerate  the  sins  against  the  command- 
ments (precepts)  of  the  Church.  Wre  have  already  enu- 
merated the  sins  against  the  first  commandment  of  the 
Church  in  the  third  commandment  of  God.  The  second 
commandment  of  the  Church  requires  us  to  keep  the  days 
of  abstinence.  Which  are  they?  How  can  we  sin  against 
this  commandment  of  the  Church?  By  wilfully  and  without 
necessity  eating  meat  on  Fridays  and  other  abstinence  days. 
He  who  is  over  seven  years  of  age  and  does  not  go  to  confes- 
sion at  least  once  a  year,  sins  against  the  third  command- 
ment of  the  Church.  (Attention  may  be  called  also  to  the 
Easter  Communion  in  as  far  as  the  Decree  Qiiam  singular i 
of  Pope  Pius  X  renders  it  obligatory  on  children  who  have 
attained  the  use  of  reason.) 

Which  are  the  capital  sins?  How  can  we  sin  thereby? 
I,  By  being  proud;  2,  covetous;  3,  envious,  rejoicing  at  the 
misfortunes  of  our  neighbor ;  4,  excess  in  eating  and  drink- 
ing; 5,  anger;  6,  sloth.  Nothing  more  to  be  said  about 
impurity.     Why  ? 

II. 

(N.  B.  All  that  is  here  included  in  brackets  may,  if  nec- 
essary, be  omitted. —  This   whole  division  II   is  not  abso- 


EXAMINATION  OF  CONSCIENCE        455 

lutely  necessary.  But  if  it  can  be  given  to  the  children, 
the  time  and  care  devoted  to  it  will  surely  produce  good 
fruit.  Here  the  children  are  individually  furnished  with 
practical  directions  how  to  make  a  full  confession.  This 
will  overcome  the  tendency  for  making  mechanical  confes- 
sions. It  is  a  difficult  matter  for  children,  even  of  the 
highest  classes  to  find  out  the  mean  or  average  number. 
In  their  first  confession  only  highly  talented  and  conscien- 
tious children  are  able  to  do  it  correctly.  The  object  of 
this  practical  training  is  to  correct  this  quasi  abuse. 

(The  first  commandment  should  be  circumstantially 
treated  and  also  take  up  some  time  in  the  confessional.  If 
the  daily  prayers  are  summarily  treated,  the  children  have 
no  clear  perception  of  what  they  should  confess.  More- 
over, the  omission  of  the  daily  prayers  is  not  always  sinful. 
Nevertheless  they  are  made  prominent  in  all  the  lists  of 
sins  given  for  the  examination  of  conscience.  The  reason 
for  this  is  that  the  conscience  may  be  impressed  with  the 
usefulness  and  advantages  of  regular  prayer,  because  every- 
thing depends  on  fervent  prayer.  This  object  cannot  be 
obtained  by  requiring  merely  a  summary  examination  of  con- 
science on  the  daily  prayers.  Although,  in  reality,  the  young 
children  who  are  admitted  to  make  their  first  confession,  do 
not  easily  fall  into  a  mortal  sin,  they  must  be  taught,  how- 
ever, in  which  cases  certain  sins  are  mortal,  so  that  they 
may  confess  them  as  mortal  sins  in  such  cases.  To  judge 
about  the  grievousness  of  the  penitent's  sin  belongs  to  the 
confessor.) 

Not  every  child,  of  course,  commits  all  the  sins  we  have 
enumerated. 

Object.  I  will  now  show  how  each  child  should  act,  in 
order  to  find  out  his  sins. 

Development.  If  you  wish  to  know  how  you  look,  you 
have  only  to  look  into  a  mirror.  And  if  you  have  spots 
or  stains  in  your  face,  you  will  see  them.  When  you  wish 
to  see  how  your  soul  looks,  you  have  only  to  examine  the 


456   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

list  of  sins  contained  in  the  commandments  of  God  and  of 
the  Church,  and  the  seven  capital  sins,  and  to  examine  one 
after  the  other. 

i.  You  must  begin  with  the  first  commandment  of  God 
and  ask  your  conscience:  Did  I  always  say  my  daily 
prayers?  Which  are  the  daily  prayers?  When  your  con- 
science answers,  yes,  you  know  that  for  this  question  your 
soul  has  no  stain ;  and  then  you  have  nothing  to  say  about 
this  in  confession.  But  if  your  conscience  says,  no,  then 
you  know  that  you  did  not  always  say  your  daily  prayers. 
Next  you  must  ask:  How  many  times  I  did  not  say  my 
morning  prayers  every  week?  If  you  have  not  said  your 
morning  prayers  in  a  week,  how  many  times  have  you 
omitted  them? 

We  say  the  morning  prayers  in  school  on  every  school 
day,  that  is,  every  day  in  the  week  except  Saturday  and  Sun- 
day. Therefore,  how  many  times  every  week  have  you 
omitted  your  morning  prayers?  How  many  times  in  a 
month?  Eight  times.  But  perhaps  your  conscience  tells 
you:  I  omitted  my  morning  prayers  on  two  Saturdays. 
Then  you  must  continue  to  reflect  and  ask  yourself:  Did  I 
omit  my  morning  prayers  twice  a  month  all  the  time  since 
I  knew  I  had  to  say  morning  prayers?  If  you  think  that 
there  was  one  month  in  which  you  omitted  them  three  times, 
and  again  another  month,  in  which  you  omitted  them  only 
once,  you  should  not  say  in  your  confession :  I  omitted  the 
morning  prayers  twice  in  one  month,  three  times  in  an- 
other month,  and  once  in  another  month.  That  would 
make  your  confession  too  long.  But  you  should  prepare 
yourself  to  make  your  confession  in  this  way:  I  omitted 
my  morning  prayers  once  or  twice  every  month. 

There  is  also  the  time  of  vacation,  when  there  is  no 
school.  Some  children  often  forget  to  say  their  morning 
prayers  during  vacation.  You  should  then  reflect  how 
many  times  a  week  during  vacation  you  did  not  say  your 
morning    prayers.     When    your    conscience    tells    you:     I 


EXAMINATION  OF  CONSCIENCE        457 

have  omitted  my  morning  prayers  in  one  week  twice,  in 
another  four  or  five  times,  and  in  the  last  weeks  of  vacation, 
I  did  not  say  any.  You  must  then  prepare  yourself  to  con- 
fess in  this  way :  During  vacation  I  omitted  my  morning 
prayers  every  week  from  two  to  five  times,  and  some  weeks 
I  did  not  say  any. 

What  then  have  you  to  observe  concerning  your  morning 
prayers  in  confession?  First,  during  the  time  when  there 
was  school.  During  that  time  I  omitted  my  morning 
prayers  one  to  three  times  a  month.  Secondly,  during 
vacation  I  omitted  my  morning  prayers  every  week  from 
three  to  five  times,  and  some  weeks  I  did  not  say  them  at 
all. 

You  say  your  night  prayers  at  home.  In  many  families 
the  mother  says  night  prayers  with  the  children.  The 
children  can  easily  remember  if  there  were  any  evenings 
when  their  mother  did  not  say  night  prayers  with  them,  and 
then  if,  in  such  cases  they  said  their  night  prayers  alone. 
If  your  mother  sometimes  did  not  say  night  prayers  with 
you,  and  you  did  not  then  say  your  night  prayers  alone, 
you  should  reflect  how  often  did  that  happen  in  a  month. 
If  you  find  out  that  in  one  month  you  omitted  them  twice, 
and  three  times  in  another  month,  how  must  you  be  pre- 
pared to  confess  this?  I  omitted  my  night  prayers  about 
two  or  three  times  a  month. 

But  where  the  mother  very  seldom  or  never  says  night 
prayers  with  the  children,  it  can  easily  happen  that  the  chil- 
dren forget  to  say  their  night  prayers  almost  every  even- 
ing. When  your  conscience  tells  you  that  you  almost  never 
said  your  night  prayers,  you  must  prepare  to  say  in  con- 
fession :  I  almost  never  said  my  night  prayers.  But  if 
your  conscience  tells  you  that  you  never  said  night  prayers, 
you  must  prepare  to  say  in  confession :  I  never  said  my 
night  prayers. 

Which  other  prayers,  besides  morning  and  night  prayers, 
belong  to  the  daily  prayers?     The  Angelus  and  the  prayers 


458    THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

before  and  after  meals.  How  often  is  the  Angelus  said 
every  day?  Three  times.  In  the  morning  it  is  always 
said  in  school.  When  the  Angelus  bell  rings  in  the  morn- 
ing, you  are  asleep  and  do  not  hear  it.  But  on  Saturdays 
and  Sundays  and  during  vacation  you  are  not  in  the  school. 
Where  then  should  you  recite  the  Angelus?  In  many  fam- 
ilies the  children  recite  the  Angelus  with  their  morning 
prayers.  But  you  omitted  your  prayers  one  morning. 
Which  prayer  did  you  also  omit?  You  then  omit  the 
Angelus  also  when  you  omit  your  morning  prayers.  In 
other  families,  in  which  the  children  do  not  say  the  Angelus 
with  their  morning  prayers,  they  probably  always  omit  the 
Angelus,  since  they  are  asleep  when  the  Angelus  bell  rings. 

At  noon  and  in  the  evening  you  usually  hear  the  Angelus 
bell  ring.  Which  of  you  are  then  obliged  to  go  home  to 
say  the  Angelus  aloud  with  the  other  members  of  the 
family  ?  Those  children  always  recite  the  Angelus.  Those 
children  who  do  not  go  home  to  recite  the  Angelus,  should 
examine  how  many  times  a  week  they  did  not  say  the 
Angelus. 

And  when  it  is  not  customary  in  a  family  to  recite  the 
Angelus,  those  children  know  well  that  they  have  scarcely 
ever  said  the  Angelus.  What  must  those  children  be  pre- 
pared to  confess?  I  daily  twice  omitted  saying  the  An- 
gelus. And  how  often  on  Saturdays  and  Sundays  and 
during  vacation? 

You  should  also  pray  before  and  after  your  meals.  The 
same  happens  in  this  as  in  the  Angelus.  In  those  families 
in  which  before  and  after  meals  all  rise  and  say  together 
the  prayers  before  and  after  meals,  the  children  always  say 
those  prayers.  And  in  those  families  that  do  not  pray  in 
common  before  and  after  meals,  the  children  always  omit 
them.  And  what  must  those  children  tell  about  those 
prayers  in  confession? 

Summary.  On  what  prayers  should  you  examine  your 
conscience  for  the  Sundays  in  vacation?     On  the  morning 


EXAMINATION  OF  CONSCIENCE        459 

prayers  and  the  Angelus  in  the  morning.  Which  children 
can  know  of  themselves,  if  they  have  almost  always  said 
the  Angelus  at  noon  and  in  the  evening,  and  the  prayers 
at  meals  and  the  night  prayers?  Those  children  belonging 
to  the  families  that  recite  these  prayers  in  common.  And 
which  children  easily  know  that  they  have  not  said  the 
Angelus  at  noon  and  in  the  evening,  the  prayers  at  meals 
and  the  night  prayers?  Those  children  belonging  to  the 
families  that  scarcely  ever  say  these  prayers  in  common. 
Such  children  can  easily  find  out  the  sins  they  committed 
by  omitting  the  prayers  at  meals,  the  Angelus  and  the  night 
prayers.  What  does  their  conscience  tell  them  about  this? 
I  have  almost  always  omitted  the  Angelus,  the  prayers  at 
meals  and  night  prayers. 

But  it  is  not  enough  to  recite  prayers,  for  we  can  pray 
and  yet  commit  a  sin  at  prayer.  Who  knows  how  this  is 
done?  Children  who  are  fond  of  prayer,  usually  pray  de- 
voutly. But  it  may  sometimes  happen  that  they  think  on 
other  things  while  they  are  saying  their  prayers.  They 
should,  in  this  case,  prepare  to  confess  this,  saying:  I  have 
sometimes  prayed  without  attention.  The  children  who  are 
not  fond  of  prayer,  usually  pray  without  attention.  How 
should  they  prepare  to  confess  this?  I  have  often  prayed 
without  attention. 

Application.  Resolve  from  this  moment  nevermore  to 
omit  your  prayers,  and  always  to  pray  with  attention.  You 
surely  all  wish  to  go  to  heaven.  But  he  who  wishes  to  go 
to  heaven,  must  pray  well,  for  in  heaven  prayer  is  con- 
tinual.    He  who  does  not  pray,  shall  never  go  to  heaven. 

2.  The  second  commandment  is:  Thou  shalt  not  take 
the  name  of  the  Lord  thy  God  in  vain.  In  examining  your 
conscience  on  the  second  commandment  you  must  ask  your- 
self :  Have  I  used  the  name  of  God,  or  of  holy  things 
without  reverence?  Some  children  are  accustomed  to  use 
the  word  God,  Lord,  Jesus  Christ,  etc.,  without  due  respect ; 
sometimes  they  do  so  ten,  or  twenty  times  a  day. 


460    THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

Children  should  ask  their  conscience:  Have  I  the  habit 
of  using  with  levity,  irreverently,  the  name  of  God,  etc.? 
If  your  conscience  answers,  yes,  you  must  reflect  and  try 
to  find  out  about  how  many  times  you  do  this  every  day. 
Suppose  your  conscience  tells  you,  ten  times  a  day.  How 
many  fresh  stains  are  there  every  day  on  your  soul? 
What,  then,  must  you  prepare  to  say  in  confession?  I 
have  the  habit  of  pronouncing  irreverently  (with  levity) 
the  holy  name  about  ten  times  every  day.  Some  children 
have  not  this  bad  habit.  Nevertheless,  they  should  ask 
their  conscience :  How  often  do  I  daily  pronounce  the 
holy  name  with  levity?  If  their  conscience  tells  them,  once 
or  twice  a  day,  what  must  they  prepare  to  confess?  If 
your  conscience  says,  Not  every  day ;  then  ask  further : 
How  many  times  a  week?  Suppose  your  conscience  re- 
plies :  Three  times  a  week,  what  should  you  prepare  to 
confess  ? 

But  cursing  is  far  worse  than  pronouncing  the  holy  name 
irreverently.  Children,  who  hear  cursing  at  home,  easily 
acquire  the  habit  of  cursing.  In  examining  your  conscience 
ask  yourself  if  there  is  much  cursing  done  at  home.  And 
then  ask  your  conscience:  Have  I  already  the  habit  of 
cursing?  If  your  conscience  says,  yes,  then  ask  yourself: 
How  many  times  do  I  curse  every  day  ?  Suppose  your  con- 
science answers:  About  three  or  four  times.  How  many 
fresh  stains  are  there  every  day  on  your  soul  ?  What  must 
you  then  prepare  to  confess? 

Where  there  is  no  cursing  or  only  a  little  cursing  at 
home,  the  children  do  not  easily  curse.  But  it  might  hap- 
pen that  such  children  cursed  a  few  times.  Now  what  must 
such  a  child  ask  his  conscience?  Have  I  cursed?  If  his 
conscience  says,  no,  that  child's  conscience  has  no  stain  of 
cursing  on  it.  But  perhaps  he  remembers  having  cursed 
during  his  life  once  or  twice.  How  must  he  prepare  to 
confess  it? 

On  what  other  sin  against  the  second  commandment  must 


EXAMINATION  OF  CONSCIENCE        461 

children  examine  their  conscience?  Unnecessary  swearing. 
Children  do  not  so  easily  fall  into  this  sin.  Nevertheless, 
you  should  ask  yourself  if  you  did  not  swear  once  or  twice, 
when  perhaps  a  companion  would  not  believe  what  you 
said.  And  if  you  then  swore,  you  must  prepare  to  confess 
it. 

Summary.  On  which  three  sins  against  the  second  com- 
mandment must  you  examine  your  conscience?  How  can 
a  child  know  beforehand  if  he  often  pronounced  the  holy 
name  with  levity  and  often  cursed? 

Application.  Be  careful  to  find  out  whether  you  have 
the  habit  of  pronouncing  the  holy  name  with  levity  or  of 
cursing.  Perhaps  you  have,  and  do  not  know  it.  And  if 
you  catch  yourself  pronouncing  again  the  holy  name  with 
levity,  or  even  cursing,  say  in  your  heart :  "  O  dear  Lord, 
forgive  me.  Hallowed  be  Thy  name."  And  each  time 
resolve :     "  I  will  never  curse  any  more." 

3.  Which  is  the  next  commandment?  The  third. 
Which  sins  are  committed  against  the  third  commandment? 
Feast  days  or  Holydays  of  obligation  must  be  kept  like  the 
Sundays.  What  must  you  now  ask  your  conscience? 
Have  I  through  my  own  fault  missed  Mass  on  Sundays 
and  Holydays?     Have  I  behaved  irreverently  in  church? 

The  children  who  always  say  their  morning  and  night 
prayers,  and  especially  who  are  fond  of  praying,  like  also 
to  go  to  church.  The  children  whose  parents  always  send 
them  to  Mass,  will  not  easily  miss  Mass  through  their  own 
fault.  Nevertheless,  they  should  ask  themselves,  if  perhaps 
it  happened  once  or  twice  that  they  missed  Mass.  The 
children,  who  are  not  fond  of  prayer,  and  whose  parents  do 
not  send  them  to  Mass,  more  easily  miss  Mass.  How  often 
does  that  child  miss  Mass  in  a  month,  who  never  goes  to 
Mass?     Four  times. 

Therefore  ask  yourselves :  Have  I  missed  Mass  every 
month?  If  your  conscience  answers,  yes,  ask  again :  How 
many  times  every  month?     And  then  you  must  prepare  to 


462        THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

confess  the  number  of  times  you  missed  Mass  every  month. 
But  if  your  conscience  tells  you  that  you  did  not  miss  Mass 
every  month,  you  must  try  and  find  out  about  how  many 
times  in  a  year.  Remember  the  number  of  times  for  your 
confession. 

But  even  those  can  commit  sin  who  go  to  Mass.  How? 
Those  children  who  bring  along  their  prayer-book  and  read 
the  Mass  prayers  in  it,  or  who  look  at  and  follow  the  priest 
at  the  altar,  behave  reverently.  Yet  they  ought  to  ask 
themselves,  if  they  did  not  now  and  then  talk  or  look 
around  during  Mass ;  and  if  they  did,  they  should  remember 
how  many  times,  that  they  may  confess  it.  Those  children 
who  bring  no  prayer-book  to  church,  or  who  do  not  use  it 
during  Mass,  are  usually  irreverent  in  church.  Also  the 
same  can  be  said  of  those  children  who  try  to  be  always 
near  each  other  in  church,  for  they  do  this  in  order  to  cut 
up  or  misbehave.  These  children  must  ask  themselves: 
How  often  have  I  (daily)  misbehaved  in  church?  Did  I 
disturb  others  thereby?  If  your  conscience  tells  you  that 
you  did  so  (daily)  five  or  ten  times,  or  almost  all  the  time, 
you  must  remember  to  confess:  I  have  (daily)  misbe- 
haved in  church  five,  ten  times,  or  nearly  all  the  time,  and 
I  sometimes  also  disturbed  others. 

Summary.  Which  children  easily  know  that  they  never 
or  almost  never  missed  Mass?  Which  children  also  easily 
know  that  they  have  often  missed  Mass?  Which  children 
know  that  they  seldom  misbehaved  in  church?  Which 
children  know  that  they  often  or  nearly  always  misbehave 
in  church? 

Application.  Resolve  from  now  to  behave  as  piously 
and  devoutly  in  church  as  St.  Stanislaus. 

4.  Which  is  the  next  commandment?  How  do  children 
sin  against  their  parents  and  superiors?  What  must  you 
now  ask  your  conscience?  The  conscience  of  many  chil- 
dren tells  them,  yes,  to  every  question.  These  children 
must  further  ask  themselves,  how  many  times  every  day, 


EXAMINATION  OF  CONSCIENCE        463 

and  if  not  every  day,  how  many  times  every  week,  and  they 
should  prepare  to  confess  the  number  of  times  they  have 
committed  each  sin. 

The  conscience  of  some  children  does  not  say,  yes,  to  each 
of  the  three  questions.  There  are  many  children  who  are 
not  impertinent  towards  their  parents.  They  have  no 
stains  of  this  sin  on  their  soul,  and  therefore  have  no  sin 
of  this  kind  to  confess.  Most  of  the  sins  of  children 
against  their  parents  and  superiors  are  not  mortal  sins. 
But  if  a  child  has  been  very  impertinent  and  stubborn 
towards  them,  or  greatly  grieved  or  angered  them,  or  been 
very  disobedient  towards  them,  his  sin  is  much  greater. 
That  is  a  circumstance  which  makes  the  sin,  not  a  venial 
sin,  but  a  mortal  sin.  Such  a  child  must,  therefore,  ask 
himself  how  many  times  he  was  very  impertinent  and  stub- 
born, very  disobedient,  and  prepare  to  confess  it :  I  have 
been  very  impertinent,  stubborn,  disobedient ;  and  say  how 
many  times. 

Application.  What  holy  Child  was  never  disobedient 
to  his  parents  ?  Try  to  imitate  the  Child  Jesus,  and  always 
obey  your  parents  promptly  and  cheerfully. 

5.  Which  is  the  next  commandment?  By  which  sins  is 
the  fifth  commandment  transgressed  (broken)  ?  What 
questions  should  you  ask  yourselves  about  this  command- 
ment? It  often  happens  that  brothers  and  sisters  scold, 
quarrel  with  and  mock  one  another.  This  happens  daily 
among  unendurable  children.  It  is  also  sinful  to  scold, 
quarrel  with  and  mock  other  children.  You  must,  then, 
ask  your  conscience :  How  often  have  I  scolded,  insulted, 
quarreled  with  and  mocked  other  children?  If  you  did  not 
do  it  every  day,  then  ask  yourself :  How  often  did  I  do 
it  every  week?  Then  remember  the  number  of  times,  that 
you  may  tell  it  in  confession. 

Wicked  children  also  insult  and  mock  their  parents, 
teachers,  old  people  and  even  the  priest.  How  do  we  also 
call  the  teachers,  the  priest?     Superiors.     What  must  such 


464   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

wicked  children  examine  themselves  about?  Have  I  in- 
sulted and  mocked  my  parents,  my  superiors,  old  people 
every  month,  or  how  many  times? 

If  you  have  struck  or  beaten  your  brothers,  your  sisters 
or  other  children,  you  should  ask  yourself :  How  often 
have  I  struck  my  brothers,  my  sisters,  other  children,  every 
day,  every  week,  or  every  month? 

Which  is  the  third  sin  against  the  fifth  commandment? 
Into  which  sins  can  wicked  children  lead  other  children? 
To  missing  Mass,  disobedience,  impurity,  stealing  and  lying. 
When  a  child  leads  another  child  to  disobey,  to  tell  lies,  to 
steal  little  things,  that  is  a  venial  sin.  But  when  a  child 
leads  another  to  miss  Mass  on  Sundays,  to  a  sin  of  im- 
purity, or  to  steal  something  valuable,  it  is  a  thing  that 
makes  the  sin  greater.  How  do  we  call  such  a  thing?  A 
circumstance.  In  such  a  case  the  child  that  led  another 
into  the  sin,  commits  not  a  venial  sin,  but  a  mortal  sin. 
What  kind  of  sin  did  he  commit,  who  led  that  child  into 
that  sin? 

You  should  now  ask  yourself :  Have  I  led  another  child 
into  sin?  If  your  conscience  tells  you  that  you  have  led 
another  child  into  a  mortal  sin,  you  must  also  remember 
into  what  kind  of  sin  you  led  that  child.  If  you  led  him 
only  into  venial  sins,  you  need  only  ask  yourself  how  often 
you  did  it  every  week,  or  every  month,  and  be  prepared  to 
confess  it. 

Summary.  On  which  three  sins  against  the  fifth  com- 
mandment should  you  examine  your  conscience?  What 
must  you  ask  yourself  besides  about  those  sins?  And  why 
should  you  ask  yourself  this?  Because  those  sins  are  no 
longer  venial,  but  mortal  sins.  How  do  we  call  that  which 
makes  a  sin  greater  or  worse? 

Application.  How  beautiful  it  is,  if  children  are 
patient  and  kind  with  one  another,  and  are  like  guardian 
angels  to  one  another ! 

6  and  9.  We  now  come  to  the  sixth  and  ninth  command- 


EXAMINATION  OF  CONSCIENCE        465 

merits.  Which  are  the  sins  against  the  sixth  and  ninth 
commandments?  Which  word  expresses  what  is  a  sin 
against  these  commandments?  When  is  it  sinful  to  think, 
see,  hear,  speak  and  do  what  is  in  any  way  impure?  How 
should  you  ask  your  conscience  concerning  the  sixth  com- 
mandment? The  conscience  of  some  children  will  always 
answer,  no.  The  soul  of  these  children  is  not  stained 
by  any  sin  against  the  sixth  commandment,  and  they  have 
nothing  to  confess  about  this  matter. 

The  conscience  of  some  other  children  tells  them,  yes, 
concerning  thoughts,  looks,  words  and  listening.  These 
children  must  ask  themselves :  How  often  every  day,  or 
every  week  did  I  think  on  impure  things,  or  look  at,  or 
listen  to,  or  speak  of  impure  things?  The  number  of 
times  your  conscience  answers,  must  be  told  in  confession. 
You  should  ask  yourself:  Did  I  do  anything  impure? 
If  your  conscience  answers,  yes,  you  must  ask  yourself : 
Did  I  do  it  alone,  or  with  some  one  else,  and  how  many 
times  did  I  do  it  every  day,  or  every  week,  or  in  all?  You 
must  be  prepared  to  say  in  confession :  I  did  something 
impure  alone,  or  I  did  something  impure  with  another ;  and 
tell  how  many  times. 

Summary.  About  which  sins  against  the  sixth  com- 
mandment should  you  ask  yourself?  What  must  you  ask 
also  concerning  impure  actions? 

Application.  Hate  and  shun  impurity.  Oh,  how  beau- 
tiful is  the  virtue  of  purity  in  children !  They  are  hon- 
ored by  God  and  by  men. 

7  and  10.  Which  is  the  next  commandment?  Let  us  add 
to  it  the  tenth  also.  Which  are  the  sins  against  the  seventh 
and  tenth  commandments?  What  must  you  ask  your  con- 
science concerning  the  seventh  commandment?  Pilfering 
is  the  sin  of  children.  Some  children  pilfer  every  day,  or 
whenever  they  get  a  chance  to  do  so.  What  must  they  ask 
themselves?  How  often  did  I  take  little  things  every  day? 
The  number  of  times  should  be  told  in  confession.     Some 


466        THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

children  finding  nothing  to  pilfer  at  home,  steal  money  at 
home,  in  order  to  buy  sweetmeats  and  trifles ;  some  even 
pilfer,  or  steal  money  from  other  people.  If  what  they 
stole  at  home  or  from  others  is  valuable,  their  sin  is 
greater.  Such  children  must  ask  their  conscience:  Did  I 
steal  money  at  home?  Have  I  stolen  anything  from  other 
people?  If  their  conscience  says,  yes,  they  should  ask 
themselves :  How  often  did  I  steal  money  at  home,  and 
how  much  was  it?  How  often  did  I  steal  from  other 
people,  and  what  did  I  steal?  The  number  of  times  must 
be  told  in  confession. 

You  must  not  keep  stolen  things.  What  should  be  done 
with  them?  You  must  also  make  restitution,  that  is,  re- 
store what  you  have  stolen.  When  must  we  also  make 
restitution  ?  When  we  have  found  something  that  was  lost. 
You  should  ask  yourself,  whether  you  have  still  what  you 
stole  or  found.  If  your  conscience  says,  yes,  you  must 
tell  it  in  confession. 

Which  are  the  other  sins  against  the  seventh  command- 
ment ?  Hence  you  should  ask  yourself :  Did  I  not  cause 
any  damage  to  others?  If  your  conscience  says,  yes,  you 
should  ask  yourself:  What  damage  did  I  cause,  and  how 
often  did  I  cause  it?  If  the  damage  is  but  trifling,  you 
need  only  tell  in  confession :  I  caused  a  little  damage  to 
others ;  and  tell  how  often  you  did  so.  But  if  you  caused 
a  great  damage  to  others,  you  must  tell  in  confession  what 
the  damage  was,  and  how  often  you  did  it.  What  else  must 
you  do  concerning  the  damage  you  caused?  If  you  have 
not  repaired  the  damage,  or  paid  the  worth  of  what  you 
damaged,  you  must  tell  it  in  confession. 

There  is  one  sin  more  to  be  confessed.  W7hich  sin  is  it? 
I  desired,  or  intended  or  attempted  to  steal.  You  must  ask 
your  conscience  about  that  sin,  and  if  it  says,  yes,  you  must 
confess  it.  * 

Summary.  About  which  sins  against  the  seventh  and 
tenth  commandments  must  you  ask  your  conscience?    You 


EXAMINATION  OF  CONSCIENCE        467 

must  find  out  also  the  number  of  each  sin.  As  to  stealing, 
finding,  causing  damage  you  should  find  out  two  things 
more.  What,  how  often,  and  whether  I  made  restitu- 
tion. Moreover,  ask:  Did  I  wish,  intend  or  attempt  to 
steal  ? 

Application.  Dear  children  do  not  accustom  yourselves 
to  pilfer,  for  those  who  never  do  so  at  home,  will  not  do 
so  either  from  their  neighbor.  Consider  your  neighbor's 
goods  as  sacred,  after  the  example  of  St.  Paschal. 

8.  Which  is  the  next  commandment  ?  Which  are  the  sins 
forbidden  by  the  eighth  commandment?  What  should  you 
ask  yourself  about  this  commandment?  Some  children 
have  accustomed  themselves  to  tell  lies.  They  can  hardly 
speak  without  telling  a  lie.  And  when  their  parents  or  their 
teachers  ask  them :  Why  did  you  not  go  to  church ;  why 
did  you  not  learn  your  lesson ;  why  did  you  not  do  that 
work  ?  They  say :  "  I  had  pains  in  the  stomach ;  I  had 
headache ;  I  had  toothache ;  I  had  no  time ;  my  mother  was 
sick,"  etc.  And  all  these  excuses  are  lies.  You  should 
then  ask  your  conscience:  Have  I  the  habit  of  telling  lies? 
How  many  lies  do  I  tell  every  day  or  every  week,  or  every 
month?  You  must  tell  in  confession  what  your  conscience 
answers  you. 

Which  are  the  other  sins  against  the  eighth  command- 
ment? Hypocrisy,  detraction  or  backbiting,  and  slander. 
You  should  then  ask  your  conscience :  How  many  times 
a  week,  or  a  month,  have  I  played  the  hypocrite?  How 
often  have  I  been  guilty  of  backbiting  my  neighbor  ?  How 
often  have  I  slandered  my  neighbor?  You  must  tell  in 
confession  the  number  of  times  you  committed  each  of  these 
sins. 

Summary.  About  which  sins  against  the  eighth  com- 
mandment must  you  examine  your  conscience?  What  else 
should  you  ask  your  conscience  about  lying? 

Application.  Never  tell  a  lie!  You  are  children  of 
God.     Liars  are  children  of  the  devil ! 


468   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

The  Commandments  of  the  Church.  Which  are  the 
commandments  of  the  Church  ?  We  need  not  now  take  the 
first  commandment  of  the  Church,  for  we  have  done  so  to- 
gether with  the  third  commandment  of  God.  Which  is  the 
second  commandment  of  the  Church  ?  To  keep  the  days  of 
abstinence.  Which  day  is  especially  a  day  on  which  flesh- 
meat  is  forbidden?  Friday.  How  many  Fridays  in  a 
week?  in  a  month?  How  often  in  a  month  can  this  com- 
mandment be  broken  ?  You  should  ask  your  conscience : 
Did  I  eat  meat  on  Fridays  and  other  forbidden  days?  If 
your  conscience  says,  no,  your  conscience  is  not  stained  with 
that  sin,  and  you  have  nothing  to  confess  about  it.  But 
if  your  conscience  says,  yes,  you  must  ask  further :  How 
many  times  did  I  eat  meat  on  forbidden  days?  And  then 
you  have  to  tell  in  confession :  I  ate  meat  on  forbidden 
days  (number  of)  times.  (N.  B.  He  who  eats  meat  twice 
or  three  times  on  a  forbidden  day,  commits  a  sin  each  time.) 

Application.  Why  is  meat  forbidden  on  Fridays? 
To  remind  us  of  the  suffering  and  death  of  our  Saviour 
Jesus  Christ.  For  His  sake  we  should  deny  ourselves  some 
satisfaction. 

The  Seven  Capital  Sins.  Which  are  the  capital  sins? 
What  should  you  ask  your  conscience  about  these  sins? 
If  your  conscience  tells  you  that  you  were  guilty  of  pride 
or  covetousness,  you  should  ask  yourself :  How  many 
times  a  week  have  I  been  proud,  have  I  been  covetous  or 
miserly?     You  must  then  tell  it  in  your  confession. 

Envy  is  a  sin  easily  committed  by  children.  They  are 
usually  jealous  of  the  fine  dresses,  of  the  fine  playthings, 
etc.,  of  other  children.  Brothers  and  sisters  are  usually  jeal- 
ous of  one  another  for  getting  more  sweetmeats,  or  for  be- 
ing better  liked,  or  more  smart.  If  your  conscience  tells 
you  that  you  were  envious  or  jealous  of  others,  you  should 
ask:  How  often  every  day,  or  every  week,  was  I  jealous 
or  envious  of  others?  You  should  tell  it  then  in  confes- 
sion.    Jealous  children  are  apt  to  be  glad  when  others  have 


EXAMINATION  OF  CONSCIENCE        469 

to  suffer  some  loss,  or  undergo  some  punishment.  This 
also  is  a  matter  for  examination  and  confession. 

Intemperance  in  eating  and  drinking  is  not  very  common 
among  children.  You  should,  however,  ask :  Have  I 
sometimes  eaten  too  much?  If  so,  how  often?  Did  it 
make  me  sick? 

Anger  is  a  sin  very  common  among  children.  You  must 
ask  yourself :  How  often  did  I  get  angry  every  day,  or 
every  week,  or  every  month  ?  How  often  did  I  make  others 
angry?     You  must  tell  all  in  confession. 

Some  children  are  slothful,  or  lazy  in  studying,  others 
are  so  at  work ;  and  others  do  not  wish  to  study  or  to  work. 
Ask  yourself:  How  often  was  I  lazy  every  day,  or  every 
week,  and  tell  it  in  confession. 

If  any  of  you  committed  some  sin,  which  we  have  not 
enumerated,  you  should  tell  it  in  your  confession. 

Summary.  Which  commandments  should  you  examine 
by  turns  to  find  out  the  sins  you  committed?  The  com- 
mandments of  God  and  of  the  Church.  And  which  sins 
should  you  also  examine?    The  seven  capital  sins. 

III. 

The  table  of  sins.  Where  do  you  look  to  find  out  the 
spots  in  your  face?  How  does  the  soul  become  stained? 
Where  are  the  sins  enumerated,  which  children  commit  in 
thoughts,  words  and  actions?  We  have  placed  them  to- 
gether in  a  long  list.  You  must  examine  this  list  in  order 
to  find  out  your  sins.  And  whom  must  you  ask  what  sins 
you  have  committed  in  thought,  word,  action  and  omission? 
In  which  way  can  you  examine  your  conscience?  We  can 
examine  our  conscience  by  going  through  the  command- 
ments of  God  and  of  His  Church  and  the  seven  capital  sins, 
and  asking  ourselves  how  we  have  done  wrong  in  thought, 
word,  action  and  omission.  And  then  look  at  yourself 
through  the  list  of  sins,  as  you  would  look  at  yourself  in  a 
looking-glass  (mirror),  to  find  out  whether  you  have  com- 


470   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

mitted  any  of  those  sins,  whether  your  soul  is  stained  by 
any  of  them.  The  list  of  sins  is  like  a  mirror  which  shows 
us  the  stains  of  sins  in  our  soul.  And  why  should  you 
look  for  your  sins  in  that  mirror?  Therefore,  it  is  called 
a  list,  or  table,  or  mirror  of  sins. 

What  do  you  look  for  in  the  list  of  sins?  For  our  sins. 
What  must  you  also  seek  concerning  each  kind  of  your  sins  ? 
Their  number.  The  number  is  not  put  down  on  that  list. 
How  do  you  find  their  number?  By  examining  ourselves. 
It  is  well,  and  I  like  it,  if  every  child  tries  to  find  out  the 
number  of  his  sins.  Concerning  venial  sins  the  number 
is  not  so  important.  But  with  regard  to  mortal  sins,  each 
of  you  must  carefully  try  to  find  out  their  number. 

Circumstance.  With  regard  to  some  sins,  such  as  steal- 
ing and  sins  against  your  parents,  it  is  not  always  enough 
to  know  their  number.  There  are  sometimes  some  things 
about  these  sins  that  make  them  much  wors*e.  What  is  it 
that  makes  a  sin  more  grievous?  The  circumstance. 
There  is  sometimes  such  a  circumstance  about  these  sins. 
On  what  must  you,  then,  examine  yourself  concerning  those 
sins?  On  their  circumstances.  Why?  Because  such  cir- 
cumstances make  them  mortal  sins.  What  must  you  first 
examine  concerning  your  sins?  Their  number.  Of  which 
sins  is  it  well  to  know  their  number?  And  what  should 
you  next  examine  concerning  your  sins?  Their  circum- 
stances. 

Summary.  Should  you  examine  into  the  number  and 
circumstances  of  your  sins?  Yes,  at  least  of  the  mortal 
sins.  In  what  way  can  you  examine  your  conscience?  By 
going  through  the  list  of  sins  forbidden  by  the  command- 
ments of  God  and  the  Church,  and  through  the  capital  sins, 
and  asking  ourselves  how  we  have  sinned  in  thought,  word, 
action  and  omission. 

Application.  You  surely  desire  to  have  a  heart  free 
from  sin  and  your  soul  clothed  with  the  white  garment  of 
grace.     Therefore,  take  great  care  to  make  your  examina- 


CONTRITION  471 

tion  of  conscience  well.  Some  children  are  too  light- 
minded  in  everything  they  do.  All  they  care  for  is  to  get 
through  with  it.  If  such  a  child  is  not  very  earnest  in 
making  his  examination  of  conscience,  he  can  easily  forget 
or  pass  over  a  mortal  sin  through  his  own  fault.  And  then 
God  would  not  forgive  his  sins.  Therefore  all  the  children, 
especially  the  light-minded,  should  resolve  to  be  very  ear- 
nest in  examining  their  conscience.  Therefore  at  your 
night  prayers,  when  you  come  to  the  Our  Father  in  honor 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  for  a  good  confession,  reflect :  I  will 
now  say  this  Our  Father  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  Fie  may 
help  me  to  examine  my  conscience  carefully. 

11.  Idea  of  Contrition. 

1.  Preparation  —  Sorrozv.  You  have  all  experienced 
sorrow.  What  things  have  given  you  pain,  made  you 
sorry  ?  How  do  we  know  that  children  are  in  pain,  or  feel 
very  sorry?  When  they  weep.  Children  weep  when 
scolded,  when  their  parents  punish  them.  What  do  they 
then  feel?  Sorrow,  pain,  grief.  They  then  feel  no  head- 
ache, no  pain  in  their  arms,  in  their  feet.  Who  knows 
where  they  feel  pain  or  sorrow?  In  their  heart,  in  their 
soul.  At  the  death  of  their  parents,  children  feel  pain  or 
grief  in  their  soul,  and  this  especially  when  they  see  them 
laid  out  in  their  coffin. 

Horror.  Surely  none  of  you  would  like  to  remain  alone 
all  night  in  a  room,  where  a  corpse  is  laid  out.  And  why? 
You  are  afraid;  it  disgusts  you;  it  makes  you  shudder. 
Three  days  after  a  person's  death  his  corpse  begins  to  cor- 
rupt and  to  emit  a  disagreeable  odor.  Would  you  dare  to 
lie  in  bed  alongside  such  a  corpse?  That  would  disgust 
you,  horrify  you,  and  make  you  shudder  still  more.  Yes, 
as  soon  as  a  corpse  begins  to  corrupt,  no  one  cares  any  more 
to  look  at  it.     Hence  it  disgusts  us  even  to  look  at  it. 

Have  you  already  heard  people  saying  of  some  man : 


472   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

"  That  man  is  really  disgusting  "  ?  Of  what  kind  of  men 
is  this  said?  Of  one  who  is  extremely  harsh  with  his 
parents,  who  is  a  drunkard,  and  quarrelsome.  People  are 
disgusted  with  those  wdio  do  very  wicked  things. 

Object.  I  will  now  relate  to  you  what  filled  the  apostle 
Peter  with  sorrow  and  disgust. 

Relation.  On  the  night  when  Jesus  was  arrested  all 
His  apostles  abandoned  Him  and  fled.  Only  Peter  and 
John  followed  Jesus  into  the  court-yard  of  the  highpriest. 
In  the  middle  of  the  yard  there  was  a  fire  where  the  high- 
priest's  men  and  maid-servants  warmed  themselves,  for  it 
was  chilly.  Peter  sat  down  among  them  to  see  what  would 
be  done  to  Jesus.  A  maid-servant  asked  him :  '  You 
were  with  Jesus  of  Nazareth  ?  "  Peter  got  frightened  and 
said :  "  No ;  I  do  not  know  Him."  The  cock  now  crowed 
for  the  first  time.  A  few  moments  later  another  maid-serv- 
ant said  to  him :  "  You  also  were  one  of  the  disciples  of 
Jesus."  Peter  swore  and  said :  "  No,  I  am  not ;  I  do  not 
know  that  man."  About  an  hour  later  one  of  the  men- 
servants  said  to  Peter :  "  Yes,  you  are  one  of  the  disciples 
of  Jesus."  Peter  again  swore  and  cursed  himself,  saying 
he  did  not  know  the  man.  Whilst  he  was  yet  protesting, 
the  cock  crowed  the  second  time.  At  that  very  moment, 
Jesus  was  led  out  of  the  court  and  passed  in  front  of  Peter. 
Jesus  turned  towards  Peter  and  cast  on  him  a  very  sad  and 
sorrowful  look.  This  look  of  Jesus  was  like  a  sword  that 
pierced  Peter  through  the  heart  and  filled  it  with  great  sor- 
row. And  Peter  went  out  and  wept  bitterly.  And  the 
longer  he  reflected  on  his  sin,  the  more  ungrateful  and 
wicked  he  appeared  to  himself.  And  he  was  filled  with 
hatred  and  horror  of  himself. 

Consideration  —  Peter's  sin.  How  did  the  apostles  be- 
have when  Jesus  was  arrested?  Which  apostles  followed 
Him?  Jesus  was  dragged  all  the  way  by  the  soldiers  and 
servants  into  the  house  of  the  highpriest.  Where  did  the 
servants    and    soldiers    remain?     The    night    was    chilly. 


CONTRITION  473 

What  had  they  done  on  account  of  this?  Relate  what 
happened  in  the  court-yard,  whilst  Jesus  was  in  the  high- 
priest's  house?  How  often  did  IJeter  deny  Jesus?  What 
did  he  reply  to  the  first  maid-servant?  What  sin  did  he 
commit  thereby?  Told  a  lie.  What  did  he  say  to  the 
second  maid-servant?  How  many  sins  did  he  commit 
thereby?  Mention  them.  He  lied  and  swore  falsely. 
What  did  he  say  to  the  man-servant?  How  many  sins 
did  he  commit  by  his  third  denial?  Mention  them.  He 
lied,  swore  falsely  and  cursed  himself.  How  many  sins 
in  all  did  he  commit  in  the  court-yard?  Which  of  these 
sins  are  the  most  grievous?  False  swearing  and  cursing 
one's  self. 

The  grievousness  of  Peters  sins.  What  did  Peter  do  to 
our  Saviour  by  his  sins?  Our  Saviour  loved  Peter  very 
much,  and  bestowed  many  favors  upon  him.  He  had  made 
Peter  one  of  His  apostles,  and  kept  him  with  Him  for  three 
years.  At  the  Last  Supper  He  had  given  Himself  as  food 
to  Peter.  How  it  must  have  pained  our  Saviour  deeply, 
when  Peter  said :  "  I  do  not  know  the  man."  Our  Sav- 
iour showed  this  when  He  was  led  out  in  front  of  Peter. 
How  did  our  Saviour  show  how  deeply  He  was  pained? 
He  turned  to  Peter  and  looked  at  him.  Oh,  how  painful  and 
sad  was  that  look!  By  this  painful  look  Jesus  meant  to 
say:  "O  Peter,  what  hast  thou  done  to  Me?  Did  I  de- 
serve this  of  thee  ?  " 

Peter's  sorrozv.  This  look  of  our  Saviour  was  a  look  of 
grace  for  Peter.  Peter  saw  at  once  how  ungrateful  he  had 
been  towards  the  Saviour,  and  how  fearfully  he  had  of- 
fended Him  by  his  denial.  How  did  Peter  feel  our  Sav- 
iour's look  penetrating  into  his  heart?  Like  the  thrust  of 
a  sword,  for  it  went  through  his  heart,  to  its  inmost  depth. 
What  does  a  man  feel  when  he  is  cut  with  a  knife?  What 
kind  of  pain  does  that  cause?  And  when  the  dagger  goes 
as  far  as  the  heart?  An  exceedingly  great  pain,  so  much 
so,  as  to  make  one  feel  as  if  he  were  dying. 


474        THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

What  did  Peter  feel  when  our  Saviour's  look  went 
through  his  heart  like  a  dagger,  a  sword?  Pain.  And 
how  great  was  the  pain  that  went  through  his  heart  to  its 
inmost  depth?  An  exceedingly  great  pain,  a  deathly  pain. 
He  felt  as  if  some  one  had  plunged  a  dagger  into  his  heart 
and  made  a  great  wound  in  it.  Oh,  how  the  wound  in  his 
soul  made  him  sorry!  He  felt  as  if  he  could  die  of  pain 
and  grief.  Now  he  could  no  longer  remain  in  the  court- 
yard. What  did  he  do,  as  he  was  going  out?  He  wept. 
Behold  the  grown-up  man,  Peter,  weeping  and  crying  with 
sorrow  and  grief,  outside  the  court-yard  like  a  child.  He 
weeps  the  whole  night,  and  can  find  no  consolation.  Tears 
roll  continuously  down  his  cheeks.  Oh,  how  bitter  were  his 
tears !  Therefore  we  say :  "  Peter  wept  bitterly."  And 
this  thought  was  always  in  his  mind :  "  Oh,  what  have  I 
done  ?  I  have  offended  my  Saviour.  He  loved  me  so  much ; 
He  was  always  so  kind  to  me.  I  should  have  loved  Him 
with  my  whole  heart ;  and  I  said :  "  I  do  not  know  Him. 
Oh,  how  it  pains  me  for  having  done  so,  and  how  sorry  I 
am  for  it.  I  could  weep  my  eyes  out  for  having  done  it. 
Oh,  had  I  rather  died  than  deny  Him.  Oh,  how  wicked 
have  I  been !  O  God,  how  could  I  do  such  a  wicked  thing ! 
How  ungrateful  have  I  been!  I  should  be  unmercifully 
beaten  for  being  so  wicked.  I  do  not  deserve  that  the 
Saviour  should  look  at  me.  I  deserve  to  fall  dead  on  the 
spot  and  to  be  cast  into  the  very  bottom  of  hell ! " 

Peter's  disgust.  How  had  our  Saviour  always  treated 
Peter?  How  did  Peter  treat  our  Saviour?  Ungratefully 
and  wickedly.  What  do  you  feel  in  the  presence  of  a  wicked 
man?  Disgust.  Peter  considers  himself  a  very  wicked 
man.  And  what  did  he  consider  that  he  did  not  deserve 
our  Saviour  should  do  to  him  ?  What  did  Peter  think  that 
men  should  do  to  him  on  account  of  his  denial  ?  He  even 
thinks  he  deserves  even  worse  than  that.  What  should 
have  been  done  to  him  on  the  spot,  as  he  thinks?  What 
were   Peter's   feelings  about  himself,  because  he  had   so 


CONTRITION  475 

wickedly  and  ungratefully  offended  our  Saviour?  Disgust. 
What  did  Peter  feel,  if  we  judge  by  his  weeping?  Sorrow. 
Where  did  Peter  feel  disgust  and  sorrow?  In  his  heart, 
in  his  soul.  Why  did  he  feel  in  his  soul  disgust  and  sor- 
row ?  Because  he  had  denied  the  Saviour,  offended  Him ; 
because  he  had  sinned ;  he  was  sorry  for  his  sins.  He  who 
has  sorrow  and  disgust  for  his  sins,  has  contrition.  What 
had  Peter  conceived  for  his  sins?     Contrition. 

Contrition,  the  most  necessary  part  of  the  sacrament  of 
penance.  Because  Peter  was  sorry  for  his  sins,  our  Sav- 
iour forgave  him  his  sins".  Who  else  had  his  sins  forgiven 
by  our  Saviour?  Why  did  Jesus  forgive  the  sins  of  the 
paralytic?  To  whom  did  God  first  forgive  their  sin? 
What  did  Adam  and  Eve  feel  on  account  of  their  sin? 
God  requires  the  same  of  all  men.  He  who  wishes  God 
to  forgive  his  sins,  must  be  sorry  for  them.  A  confession 
without  sorrow  (contrition)  is  like  an  empty  nutshell. 
What  is  an  empty  nutshell  worth?  Nothing.  In  like  man- 
ner, a  confession  without  contrition  is  worth  nothing.  God 
does  not  forgive  the  sins  of  him  who  has  no  contrition  for 
them.  Contrition  is  the  most  necessary  part  of  the  sacra- 
ment of  penance. 

For  a  true  contrition  ive  need  God's  grace.  Peter  at 
once  was  sorry  for  his  sins.  When  did  he  begin  to  be  sorry 
for  his  sins?  When  our  Saviour  looked  at  him.  What 
kind  of  look  did  Jesus  cast  on  him?  This  look  of  grace 
excited  contrition  in  Peter's  heart.  On  whom  did  Jesus 
cast  also  a  similar  look  of  grace?  On  the  paralytic.  What 
did  it  excite  in  the  heart  of  the  paralytic?  Contrition. 
The  same  has  to  happen  to  every  one  who  has  sinned.  No 
one  can  excite  true  contrition  in  himself.  Indeed,  it  is  not 
so  very  easy  to  have  true  contrition.  No  matter  how  hard 
you  may  try,  you  could  never  succeed  by  yourself  in  hav- 
ing true  contrition.  It  is  necessary  that  God  should  cast  a 
look  of  grace  into  your  heart,  to  enable  you  to  have  true 
contrition   for  your   sins.     True  contrition   is   found  only 


476   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

there  where  God  has  cast  a  look  of  grace.  And  where  there 
is  no  true  contrition,  there  is  no  forgiveness  of  sins. 

What  must  we  do  to  obtain  the  grace  of  God  ?  To  whom 
should  we  especially  pray  for  this?  To  the  Holy  Ghost. 
How  should  you  pray  to  Him  to  obtain  true  contrition  for 
your  sins?  And  the  Holy  Ghost  will  help  you  to  awaken 
in  your  heart  true  contrition.  The  Holy  Ghost  helps  us  to 
awaken  true  contrition. 

Summary.  What  does  he  feel  in  his  heart,  who  has  true 
contrition?  Sorrow  and  disgust.  For  what?  For  the  sins 
he  has  committed.  Therefore  contrition  is  a  sorrow  in  the 
soul  and  a  disgust  for  past  sins.  Contrition  is  the  second 
part  of  the  sacrament  of  penance.  It  is  the  most  necessary 
part  of  the  sacrament  of  penance.  God  does  not  forgive 
those  who  have  no  contrition  for  their  sins.  To  awaken  a 
true  contrition  we  need  the  grace  of  God. 

Application,  i.  What  must  you  have  in  your  heart,  if 
you  wish  God  to  forgive  your  sins?  You  have  often  told 
lies  like  Peter.  Have  you  bitterly  bewailed  your  lies  as  he 
bewailed  his?  Some  of  you  have  also  cursed  as  Peter  did 
in  the  court-yard.  Has  your  soul  ever  felt  contrition  for 
it?  Some  have  sworn  without  necessity  or  falsely.  Had 
they  any  disgust  for  their  sin?  There  is  no  forgiveness 
without  contrition.     Could  God  forgive  you  without  it? 

2.  Our  Saviour  looked  at  Peter.  Peter  went  out  and 
wept  bitterly.  Our  Saviour's  look  of  grace  excited  contri- 
tion in  his  heart.  You  must  make  earnest  efforts  to  have 
true  contrition.  For  this  pray  to  God :  "  Excite,  O  Lord, 
contrition  in  my  heart  by  a  look  of  Thy  grace."  I  told  you 
to  recite  every  night  an  Our  Father.  For  what?  From 
now  recite  the  Our  Father,  in  order  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
may  help  you  to  have  a  true  contrition  for  your  sins. 

12.  The  Qualities  of  Contrition. 

Object.  You  shall  hear  which  is  the  greatest  evil  on 
earth. 


QUALITIES  OF  CONTRITION  477 

Preparation.  What  did  the  apostles  do  after  they  had 
received  the  Holy  Ghost  on  Pentecost?  They  preached 
about  Jesus.  What  did  the  chief  priests  do  concerning  the 
preaching  of  the  apostles?  They  said  to  the  apostles: 
"  You  must  not  preach  any  more  about  Jesus,  otherwise 
you  shall  be  put  into  prison."  To  be  put  into  prison  would 
have  been  an  evil  for  the  apostles.  But  what  would  the 
apostles  have  committed,  if  they  had  not  preached  ?  Why  ? 
To  commit  a  sin  would  have  also  been  an  evil  for  them. 
The  apostles  were  obliged  to  choose  between  two  evils. 
What  did  the  apostles  do?  Which  evil  did  they  consider 
to  be  the  greater?  What  happened  then  to  the  apostles? 
They  were  cast  into  prison.  When  the  apostles  were  set 
free  from  the  prison,  what  did  the  highpriests  say  to  them  ? 
"  If  you  again  preach  about  Jesus,  you  shall  be  scourged." 
Scourging  would  have  been  a  greater  evil  for  the  apostles 
than  imprisonment.  What  would  the  apostles  have  com- 
mitted, if  they  had  stopped  preaching?  The  apostles  had 
now  again  to  choose  between  two  evils.  Which  evil  did 
they  now  consider  to  be  the  greater?  Sin.  After  being 
scourged  the  apostles  were  threatened  with  death,  if  they 
would  again  preach  about  Jesus.  What  did  they  allow  to  be 
done  to  them  rather  than  cease  preaching  and  committing 
sin?  What  did  they  fear  more  than  martyrdom?  Sin. 
Because  sin  is  a  greater  evil  than  martyrdom.  What  do  we 
do  to  God,  when  we  sin?  We  offend  Him.  How  does  God 
feel  towards  the  sinner?  By  mortal  sin  we  make  God  our 
enemy.  Oh,  what  a  great  evil  it  is  to  have  God  for  our 
enemy  !  What  does  our  soul  lose  by  mortal  sin  ?  Our  soul 
becomes  poor,  poorer  than  the  poorest  beggar.  What  pun- 
ishment does  mortal  sin  deserve?  How  long  do  the  tor- 
ments of  hell  last?  Which  is  the  greatest  evil,  to  be  im- 
prisoned, scourged,  put  to  death  in  great  torments,  or  to 
have  God  as  our  enemy,  to  be  poorer  in  our  soul  than  the 
poorest  beggar,  and  to  burn  forever  in  hell?  And  how  do 
we  draw  upon  us  these  three  dreadful  evils?     By  mortal  sin. 


478   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

Because  by  mortal  sin  we  offend  God,  lose  divine  grace,  and 
deserve  hell,  sin  is  the  greatest  of  evils. 

What  a  frightful  misfortune  it  is  for  us,  if  we  commit  a 
mortal  sin  !  Can  such  a  sin  be  forgiven  ?  Oh,  yes.  What 
then  is  the  most  necessary  for  us  to  obtain  the  forgiveness 
of  our  sins?     Contrition. 


Object.  I  will  show  you,  from  the  example  of  St.  Peter, 
what  contrition  ought  to  be. 

Development.  Peter  had  committed  several  sins. 
Were  all  these  equally  grievous?  Which  were  the  most 
grievous  ?  What  did  Peter  feel  about  all  his  sins  ?  He  had 
contrition  for  all  of  them.  How  deep  in  his  soul  was  his 
contrition  ?  To  the  inmost  depth  of  his  soul.  Why  was  St. 
Peter  so  sorry  for  his  sins?  Peter  was  so  sorry  for  his 
sins,  because  he  had  offended  our  Saviour.  What  had  the 
soul  of  Peter  lost  by  his  sins?  Peter's  soul  had  lost  sancti- 
fying grace  by  his  sins. 

How  could  God  have  immediately  punished  Peter  for  his 
sins?  WThat  punishment  in  the  next  life  did  Peter  deserve 
for  his  sins?  To  lose  grace,  to  die  and  to  deserve  hell  are 
also  a  great  misfortune.  Peter  could  also  have  been  sorry 
for  his  sins,  because  by  them  he  had  lost  grace,  deserved 
death  and  hell.  But  Peter  had  not  thought  of  these,  for  his 
contrition  was  so  great.  What  would  Peter  in  his  contri- 
tion have  preferred  to  his  having  sinned?  Death.  What 
kind  of  evil  did  he  consider  sin  to  be?  What  did  he  feel 
concerning  sin  ?  Horror.  How  much  horror  had  Peter  for 
sin?  He  hated  sin  as  the  greatest  of  evils.  And  what  did 
Peter  wish  concerning  his  sins?  He  wished:  "Oh,  if  I 
only  had  not  done  this !  " 

The  hope  of  forgiveness.  Peter  had  often  witnessed 
how  our  Saviour  had  willingly  forgiven  others  their  grievous 
sins.  Give  an  example.  The  paralytic.  How  did  Peter 
for  this  reason  pray  in  his  heart  to  our  Saviour  ?     And  what 


QUALITIES  OF  CONTRITION  479 

did  he  expect  Jesus  would  do?  Peter  expected  that  Jesus 
would  forgive  him.  Hence  we  can  say :  Peter  hoped  that 
our  Saviour  would  forgive  him  his  sins.  Our  Saviour  did, 
indeed,  forgive  him.     (Repeat.) 

Tell  me  which  apostle  had  committed  a  more  grievous  sin 
than  Peter.  But  Judas  was  also  sorry  for  his  terrible  sin. 
Yes,  he  was  frightfully  sorry  for  it.  It  burnt  like  a  red 
hot  iron  in  his  breast.  Our  Saviour  would  also  have  for- 
given him.  Jesus  is  so  good  ;  He  came  upon  earth  to  redeem 
men  from  sin.  He  forgives  all  who  repent  of  their  sins. 
What  should  Judas  have  expected  from  our  Saviour?  He 
should  have  hoped  for  pardon  from  Jesus.  Yes,  Judas 
should  have  gone  to  kneel  down  under  the  cross  and  be- 
sought Jesus  to  forgive  him,  and  Jesus  would  have  forgiven 
him.  But  Judas  was  afraid  and  thought  his  sin  was  too 
great  for  our  Saviour  to  forgive  him.  What  was  wanting 
to  the  sorrow  of  Judas?  The  hope  of  forgiveness.  There- 
fore our  Saviour  did  not  forgive  him.  Both  apostles,  Peter 
and  Judas,  were  sorry  for  their  sins.  What  did  Peter  in- 
clude in  his  sorrow?  The  hope  of  being  forgiven.  And 
what  did  Jesus  do  to  him  on  that  account?  What  was 
wanting  to  the  sorrow  of  Judas?  And  what  did  Jesus  not 
do  on  that  account?  When  does  God  forgive  sin?  When 
does  he  not  forgive  the  sins  of  those  who  are  sorry  for 
them  ? 

Summary.  What  must  be  united  with  sorrow  (contri- 
tion) ?  The  hope  of  pardon  must  necessarily  be  united  with 
contrition. 

ii. 

Object.  I  will  now  tell  you  how  Bertha  repented  of  her 
sins. 

i.  Development  —  Exteriorly,  interiorly.  Bertha,  by 
her  disobedience  greatly  offended  her  mother.  Her  mother 
is  very  angry  with  Bertha  for  it.  But  Bertha  is  indifferent. 
But  because  it  is  Christmas  eve,  Bertha  is  afraid  that  she 


480        THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

will  not  get  a  Christmas  gift.  Therefore  she  says  to  her 
mother :  "  Oh,  dear  mother,  had  I  only  not  disobeyed  you  ; 
I  am  so  sorry  for  having  done  so!  Please  forgive  me." 
But  her  mother  did  not  forgive  her. 

Consideration  —  Exteriorly.  Bertha  says  she  is  sorry 
for  having  offended  her  mother.  What  does  he  feel  in  his 
heart  about  his  sins,  who  is  really  sorry  for  them?  Sorrow 
and  hatred  (horror).  But  Bertha  feels  no  sorrow  and 
no  hatred.  How  do  you  know  that  ?  She  is  very  indiffer- 
ent. Her  sorrow,  therefore,  does  not  penetrate  to  her  heart. 
Where  is  her  sorrow  for  her  disobedience?  Only  in  her 
tongue.  Her  sorrow  is  only  in  her  mouth.  Her  mother 
sees  that.  Her  mother  sees  that  Bertha  talks  in  that  way, 
for  fear  of  not  getting  a  Christmas  gift.  Will  her  mother 
forgive  her?     Why  not? 

Connection  —  Contrition  must  be  interior.  Where  are 
our  sins?  Where  the  sins  are,  there  also  must  be  the  con- 
trition. Therefore  Peter  was  sorry  for  his  sins  not  merely 
with  his  tongue.  How  was  he  sorry  for  his  sins  ?  He  was 
sorry  for  his  sins  not  only  in  words,  but  especially  in  his 
heart.  His  contrition  penetrated  to  the  inmost  depth  of 
his  heart.  How  much  did  he  detest  his  sins?  Peter  de- 
tested his  sins  in  his  heart  as  the  greatest  of  evils. 

Sincere.  What  did  Peter  wish  concerning  his  sins? 
"  Oh,  had  I  only  not  done  that !  "  What  does  Bertha  say, 
when  asking  her  mother's  forgiveness?  "  Oh,  dear  mother, 
had  I  only  not  disobeyed  you ;  I  am  so  sorry  for  having  done 
so."  What  cares  Bertha  for  having  offended  her  mother? 
She  merely  says  she  is  sorry,  but  does  not  mean  it.  Does 
she  really  feel  sorry  in  her  heart?  He  who  says  something 
with  his  lips,  but  does  not  mean  it  in  his  heart,  is  not  sincere. 
Peter  wished  he  had  not  offended  our  Saviour ;  he  said  this 
with  his  lips,  but  meant  it  much  more  in  his  heart.  There- 
fore Peter  sincerely  wished  that  he  had  not  offended  our 
Saviour.  Which  three  things  have  you  now  learnt  about 
Peter's  contrition? 


QUALITIES  OF  CONTRITION  481 

Our  contrition  is  interior,  if  we  are  sorry  in  our  heart  for 
our  sins,  if  we  detest  them  in  our  heart  as  the  greatest  evil, 
and  if  we  sincerely  wish  we  had  not  committed  them. 
What  should  we  say  about  Peter's  contrition?  His  contri- 
tion was  good ;  therefore  our  Saviour  forgave  Peter  his 
sins.  How  is  Bertha  sorry  for  her  sin?  With  her  lips. 
What  kind  of  sorrow  is  it?  Her  sorrow  is  not  good. 
Therefore  her  mother  did  not  forgive  her.  If  Bertha's  con- 
trition in  confession  is  of  the  same  kind,  God  will  not  for- 
give her.  What  kind  of  sorrow  must  she  have  to  obtain 
God's  forgiveness? 

Summary.  When  is  contrition  interior?  Our  contri- 
tion is  interior  if  we  are  sorry  for  our  sins  not  merely  with 
our  lips,  but  also  from  our  heart,  and  detest  them  as  the 
greatest  of  evils,  and  sincerely  wish  we  had  not  committed 
them. 

2.  Object.  I  will  now  tell  you  all  about  Frank's  contri- 
tion. 

Relation  —  Not  universal;  universal.  Frank  had  not 
studied  his  lesson  well  in  school,  and  Fred  got  ahead  of 
him  in  class.  Being  angry  with  Fred  for  this,  Frank  tore 
out  many  leaves  from  Fred's  book,  cut  up  his  book  and 
expressed  the  wish :  "  I  wish  that  Fred  would  get  very 
sick."  WThen  he  went  to  confession,  he  was  sorry  for  both 
his  mortal  and  venial  sins,  except  that  he  was  still  angry 
with  Fred,  and  was  not  sorry  for  having  caused  him  so 
much  damage. 

Consideration  —  Mortal  sin.  The  room  for  laying  out 
corpses.  In  what  did  Frank  offend  Fred?  That  was 
surely  a  mortal  sin.  Why  is  such  a  sin  called  mortal  ?  Be- 
cause such  a  sin  is  like  a  death-thrust  into  the  soul  of  the 
sinner,  which  kills  the  soul  spiritually,  takes  its  life  for 
heaven  away.  Every  time  a  man  commits  a  mortal  sin, 
his  soul  receives  a  death-thrust.  How  many  death-thrusts 
in  the  soul  of  him  who  has  committed  three  mortal  sins? 
Of  him  who  committed  two?     Of  him  who  committed  one? 


482        THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

The  room  in  which  corpses  are  laid  out  is  called  a  mortuary 
room.  What  does  the  heart  of  a  man  become,  who  has 
committed  mortal  sin?     A  mortuary  room. 

Venial  sin,  not  a  mortuary  room.  The  soul  does  not  re- 
ceive mortal  wounds  from  venial  sins,  but  only  slight 
wounds.  What  happens  to  the  soul  of  him  who  commits 
only  venial  sins?  Hence  the  heart  of  such  a  one  is  not  a 
mortuary  room.  The  Holy  Ghost  does  not  leave  his  soul. 
But  what  happens  when  a  mortal  sin  is  committed? 

We  must  be  sorry  for  every  mortal  sin.  If  a  sinner 
wishes  the  Holy  Ghost  to  return  to  his  soul,  all  his  death- 
thrusts  of  mortal  sin  must  be  healed,  and  this  all  together. 
If  the  soul  has  received  three  death-thrusts,  the  soul  can- 
not regain  life,  if  all  three  are  not  healed  at  once ;  the  soul 
would  remain  dead  if  only  one,  or  only  two  were  healed. 
What  is  required  for  the  Holy  Ghost  to  enter  again  the 
soul  that  has  received  many  death-thrusts,  and  for  the  soul 
to  get  alive  again  for  heaven?  All  the  soul's  death-thrusts 
must  be  healed.  The  death-thrusts  are  healed  by  contri- 
tion. But  Frank  had  no  contrition  for  one  of  his  mortal 
sins.  What  was  not  healed  in  his  soul?  But  if  one  death- 
thrust  is  not  healed,  none  of  them  are  healed,  and  the  soul 
remains  dead ;  and  the  Holy  Ghost  does  not  enter  it,  and  all 
the  sins,  even  those  for  which  the  sinner  was  sorry,  all  re- 
main in  the  soul. 

There  is  no  obligation  to  have  contrition  for  venial  sins 
—  unless  no  mortal  sins  are  confessed.  Suppose  a  person 
has  committed  both  mortal  and  venial  sins.  Which  kind 
must  he  be  sorry  for,  that  his  soul  may  recover  life?  All 
his  mortal  sins.  What  kind  of  wounds  do  venial  sins  in- 
flict on  the  soul  ?  Slight  wounds.  Who  does  not  leave  the 
soul  on  account  of  venial  sins  ?  He  can  dwell  in  a  soul  that 
is  stained  only  by  venial  sins.  Venial  sins  only  would  not 
prevent  the  Holy  Ghost  from  entering  a  soul.  It  is  not  nec- 
essary to  be  sorry  for  every  venial  sin  that  the  soul  may 
recover  the  life  of  grace. 


QUALITIES  OF  CONTRITION  483 

//  is  well  to  be  sorry  for  venial  sins  also.  What  do  venial 
sins  cause  in  the  soul  ?  Therefore  it  is  well  to  be  sorry  for 
all  of  them.  This  will  make  the  soul  much  more  healthy 
and  pure,  and  more  pleasing  to  God.  (Necessity  of  being 
sorry  for  at  least  one  kind  of  venial  sins  confessed,  if  no 
mortal  sins  are  confessed  or  included.) 

Connection  —  Universal.  Mention  the  sins  Peter  com- 
mitted. How  many  mortal  sins  was  Peter  sorry  for?  But 
what  about  Frank's  sorrow  ?  He  had  no  contrition  for  one 
of  his  mortal  sins.  Plow  many  sins  were  forgiven  to  Peter? 
How  many  to  Frank?  None.  Why?  When  are  all  mor- 
tal sins  forgiven? 

What  do  you  know  about  Peter's  contrition  for  his  venial 
sins?  Peter  was  sorry  for  all  his  venial  sins  also.  What 
happened  to  him  concerning  his  venial  sins?  Frank  was 
also  sorry  for  his  venial  sins.  Were  they  forgiven  him? 
Why  not?  Were  any  of  his  mortal  sins  forgiven?  Were 
any  of  his  venial  sins?  Did  he  obtain  forgiveness  for  any 
of  his  sins?  When  is  no  sin  forgiven?  When  contrition 
for  a  mortal  sin  is  wanting.  When  are  all  mortal  sins  for- 
given?    When  we  have  contrition  for  every  one  of  them. 

In  which  case  are  all  sins  committed,  both  mortal  and 
venial,  forgiven?  When  we  are  sorry  for  all  of  them,  our 
contrition  is  universal.  True  contrition  should  be  univer- 
sal. Which  kind  of  sins  must  we  be  sorry  for?  All  of 
our  mortal  sins. 

Summary.  When  is  our  contrition  universal?  Our 
contrition  is  universal,  when  we  are  sorry  for  all  our  sins, 
or,  at  least,  for  all  our  mortal  sins. 

3.  Object.  I  will  now  tell  you  how  Rudolf  was  sorry 
for  his  sins. 

Relation  —  Natural,  supernatural.  Rudolf  had  climbed 
a  neighbor's  cherry  tree  to  steal  cherries.  But  seeing  the 
gardener  coming,  he  quickly  jumped  down  and  broke  his 
leg.  Rudolf  had  to  remain  long  in  bed  and  suffered  very 
much.     He  wept  a  good  deal.     When  he  got  well,  the  other 


484        THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

children  made  fun  of  him  and  called  him  a  thief.  He 
would  get  mad  and  weep  every  time.  He  would  keep  away 
from  other  children  as  much  as  possible. 

Consideration  —  Temporal  injury.  What  did  Rudolf 
commit  in  stealing,  or  trying  to  steal  cherries?  A  sin. 
What  happened  to  him,  when  he  jumped  down  from  the 
tree?  He  broke  his  leg.  His  playmates  could  go  out  to 
play,  but  he  could  not.  What  injury  did  his  broken  leg 
cause  him?  He  had  to  stay  in  bed  and  suffer  much.  What 
must  he  have  thought  during  that  time  about  his  stealing? 
"  Oh,  would  that  I  had  not  done  it."  How  did  he  feel  about 
it?  He  felt  sorry.  Why  was  he  sorry?  Because  he  had 
to  stay  in  bed  and  suffer  much;  because  it  had  injured 
him.  How  long  did  that  injury  last?  Until  his  leg  was 
healed.  Therefore  Rudolf's  stealing  caused  him  temporal 
injury.  Why  was  Rudolf  sorry  for  his  theft,  for  stealing? 
He  was  sorry  because  it  caused  him  temporal  injury. 

Disgrace.  What  did  the  other  children  call  Rudolf  for 
stealing?  Thief.  Every  time  he  was  called  thief,  he  got 
very  angry.  And  why?  Because  he  was  ashamed.  What 
was  it  for  Rudolf  to  be  called  a  thief?  A  disgrace.  This 
disgrace  pained  him  deeply.  How  did  he  show  that  this 
disgrace  pained  him  ?  What  thought  would  then  come  into 
his  mind?  "  Oh,  would  that  I  had  not  done  it."  How  did 
he  feel  about  his  theft?  Sorry.  He  repented  of  his  theft, 
because  it  disgraced  him.  And  for  what  else  did  he  repent 
of  his  theft?     Because  it  had  caused  him  temporal  injury. 

Natural  contrition.  It  was  quite  natural  for  Rudolf  to 
be  sorry  for  his  theft  because  it  caused  him  temporal  injury 
and  disgrace.  Therefore  we  call  his  contrition  a  natural 
contrition. 

Connection  —  Supernatural  contrition.  Why  was  St. 
Peter  sorry  for  his  sins?  For  which  other  reasons  could 
he  have  been  sorry?  Because  he  had  lost  sanctifying  grace 
and  deserved  hell.  He  who  is  sorry  for  his  sins  because 
he  offended  God,  lost  grace  and  deserved  hell  has  super- 


QUALITIES  OF  CONTRITION  485 

natural  contrition.  When  is  our  contrition  supernatural? 
Our  contrition  is  supernatural,  when  we  are  sorry  for  (re- 
pent of)  our  sins,  because  we  have  offended  God,  lost  grace 
and  deserved  hell. 

Contrition  must  be  supernatural.  Whom  do  we  offend 
by  our  sins?  Who  is  to  forgive  our  sins?  Of  whom 
should  we  think  in  our  contrition?  How  is  the  contrition 
called  which  makes  us  think  of  God?  True  contrition 
makes  us  think  of  God,  and  is  therefore  supernatural. 

Natural  sorrow  or  contrition  is  of  no  use.  What  kind  of 
contrition  did  Rudolf  have?  What  did  it  make  him  think 
of?  Of  whom  should  he  have  thought?  If  he  had  thought 
of  God,  what  kind  of  contrition  would  he  have  had?  A 
supernatural  contrition.  And  what  would  God  have  done 
about  his  sins?  But  because  Rudolf  had  only  a  natural 
sorrow  for  his  sin,  God  did  not  forgive  him.  What  profit 
did  he  get  from  his  natural  sorrow?  His  natural  sorrow 
did  not  at  all  profit  him.  W7hat  is  it  that  makes  our  sorrow 
supernatural  and  deserving  of  God's  forgiveness?  To 
think  of  God  in  our  contrition.  Would  it,  then,  not  be 
sufficient  for  us  to  repent  of  our  sins  on  account  of  the 
temporal  injury  or  disgrace  they  caused  us?  To  repent  of 
our  sins,  because  they  caused  us  temporal  injury  or  dis- 
grace, is  only  natural  sorrow,  which  does  not  profit  us. 

Summary  of  the  whole.  What  is  contrition?  Con- 
trition is  a  sorrow  of  the  soul  and  a  horror  of  our  past 
sins.  Which  are  the  qualities  of  contrition?  It  must  be, 
first,  interior ;  second,  universal ;  third,  supernatural. 
When  is  our  contrition  interior  ?  Our  contrition  is  interior, 
when  we  repent  of  our  sins  not  only  with  our  lips,  but 
from  our  heart  and  detest  them  as  the  greatest  evil,  and 
sincerely  wish  we  had  not  committed  them.  When  is  our 
contrition  universal?  Our  contrition  is  universal,  when  we 
repent  of  all  our  sins,  or  at  least  of  all  our  mortal  sins. 
When  is  our  contrition  supernatural?  Our  contrition  is 
supernatural,  when  we  repent  of  our  sins,  because  we  have 


486    THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

offended  God,  lost  His  grace  and  deserved  hell.  Would  it 
not  be  sufficient,  if  we  repented  of  our  sins  on  account  of  the 
temporal  injury  they  caused  us?  He  who  repents  of  his 
sins  merely  on  account  of  the  temporal  injury  and  disgrace 
they  caused  him,  has  only  a  natural  sorrow,  which  does 
not  profit  him.  With  what  must  contrition  be  accom- 
panied? Hope  of  forgiveness  must  accompany  our  contri- 
tion. 

Application  —  i.  Peter.  Peter's  contrition  for  his  sins 
lasted  all  his  life.  Every  night  when  he  heard  a  cock  crow, 
he  would  begin  again  to  weep.  His  many  tears  made  fur- 
rows in  his  face. 

2.  Magdalen.  Mary  Magdalen  bitterly  repented  of  her 
sins,  as  we  read  in  Bible  History  (Gospel).  She  had  been 
a  wicked  sinner.  She  once  heard  that  our  Saviour  had 
been  invited  to  dine  with  a  pharisee.  She  entered  the 
Pharisee's  house,  cast  herself  at  our  Saviour's  feet,  and  be- 
gan to  weep  bitterly  over  her  sins.  Her  tears  ran  over 
the  feet  of  Jesus.  She  wiped  His  feet  with  her  hair  and 
repeatedly  kissed  them.  Jesus  said  to  her :  "  Thy  sins 
are  forgiven  thee." 

3.  You  have  all  sinned.  What  must  you  feel  concerning 
your  sins,  that  God  may  forgive  you?  Have  you  already 
been  sorry  for  your  sins  ?  It  is  well,  if  a  child  is  so  sorry 
for  his  sins,  that  he  weeps  over  them,  like  Peter  and 
Magdalen.  But  it  is  not  necessary  for  you  to  weep  over 
your  sins.  Where  must  you  feel  sorry  for  your  sins?  In 
our  heart.  The  chief  thing  is  to  be  sorry  in  your  heart 
for  your  sins.  Have  you  not  already  said :  "  O  my  God, 
I  am  sorry  for  having  cursed,  told  lies,  been  disobedient," 
without  being  at  all  sorry  in  your  heart?  What  did  such  a 
sorrow  profit  you? 


PURPOSE  OF  AMENDMENT  487 


13.  The  Purpose  of  Amendment,  or  the  Resolution 

to  sin  no  more. 

Connection.  It  is  not  enough  to  be  sorry  for  our  sins, 
we  must  also  resolve  never  to  sin  any  more. 

I.    THE    WORTHLESS    RESOLUTION. 

Object.  I  will  now  tell  you  how  John  resolved  not  to 
sin  any  more. 

Relation.  John  was  a  bad  boy.  He  was  disobedient 
and  impudent  towards  his  parents,  and  was  addicted  to 
cursing  and  lying.  He  often  stole  money  out  of  the 
drawer,  until  his  father  caught  him  at  it.  His  father  then 
reproached  him  with  all  the  evil  things  he  knew  about  him; 
and  then  he  brought  him  before  the  crucifix,  saying: 
"  Look  at  our  divine  Saviour  who  suffered  so  much  for  the 
sins  of  men.  And  now  you  have  again  so  grievously  of- 
fended Him.  You  have  even  stolen  and  become  a  thief. 
Do  you  not  see  that  you  deserve  to  be  punished  ?  "  Then 
his  father  punished  him  severely  with  a  rod.  John  began 
to  cry  aloud,  and  said :  "  Oh,  I  am  so  sorry  for  being  so 
wicked.  I  will  never  do  it  again.  I  will  surely  never  steal 
any  more."  Then  his  father  stopped  punishing  him,  and 
locked  the  money  drawer,  and  took  the  key  out.  John, 
who  was  still  crying,  watched  his  father  to  see  where  he 
would  hide  the  key.     For  what  did  he  watch  his  father? 

Consideration  —  The  earnest  or  firm  will.  What  sins 
had  John  committed?  What  was  John  doing  when  his 
father  found  him  out?  Where  did  his  father  bring  him? 
What  did  he  say  to  him?  What  did  John  get  for  the  evil 
he  had  done?  What  did  John  cry  out,  when  he  was  get- 
ting punished  ?  John  said  that  he  was  sorry  from  his  heart. 
What  else  did  he  say?  He  also  said:  "I  will  never  do 
it  again ;  I  will  never  steal  any  more."  Therefore  we  say : 
John  was  resolved  never  to  do  anything  bad,  and  especially 


488   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

never  to  steal  any  more.  (Repeat.)  That  was  a  resolu- 
tion, a  purpose  of  amendment,  of  doing  better.  At  what 
was  John  looking  when  he  was  still  crying?  What  did  he 
do  that  for?  What  did  he  really  intend  to  do  again? 
Therefore  when  he  said :  I  will  never  do  it  again,  he  really 
intended  to  do  it  again;  we  say;  he  did  not  mean  what  he 
said.  What  do  you  say  about  John  saying :  "  I  will  not 
steal  any  more  "  ?     John  did  not  mean  it. 

Summary.  What  does  John  say  that  he  resolved? 
What  do  you  say  about  this?  John  did  not  mean  what  he 
said. 

II. 

Object.  If  you  wish  that  God  should  forgive  your 
sins,  you  must  be  sincerely  resolved  not  to  sin  again ;  you 
must  mean  it.    This  I  will  show  by  the  example  of  St.  Peter. 

Development.  Where  did  Jesus  go  on  the  night  before 
His  death?  What  did  He  do  there?  Wrhat  did  our  Sav- 
iour urge  Peter,  James  and  John  to  do?  What  did  they 
do  instead?  If  Peter,  instead  of  falling  asleep,  had  prayed, 
he  would  not  have  committed  such  grievous  sins  that  night. 
What  sins  did  he  commit?  What  did  Peter  feel  in  his 
heart  afterwards  concerning  his  sins?  And  what  did  he 
wish?  "Oh,  would  that  I  had  not  done  it."  He  thought 
how  well  it  would  have  been  for  him,  if  he  had  obeyed  our 
Saviour,  and  watched  and  prayed.  And  he  said  to  himself : 
"  From  now  I  will  pray  more  fervently.  Not  for  the  whole 
world  will  I  again  deny  our  Saviour.  Before  all  men  I 
will  profess  that  I  am  His  disciple,  even  if  I  had  to  be 
arrested  and  put  to  death  for  it."  What  was  Peter  resolved 
to  do? 

Peter  was  resolved  to  amend  his  life.  How  will  Peter 
repair  his  neglect  of  prayer?  He  is  resolved  to  pray  fer- 
vently. How  does  he  intend  to  atone  for  (repair)  his 
denial  of  our  Saviour?     He  will  profess  before  everybody 


PURPOSE  OF  AMENDMENT  489 

that  he  is  our  Saviour's  disciple.  Peter,  therefore,  is  re- 
solved henceforth  to  do  better.  How  then  will  his  life 
be  with  regard  to  the  past?  Better.  What  kind  of  a  life 
is  Peter  resolved  henceforth  to  lead?  A  better  life.  We 
may  also  say  :  Peter  is  resolved  to  amend  his  life  ;  or  Peter 
intends  to  lead  henceforth  a  better  life.  This  is  his  resolu- 
tion, his  firm  purpose  of  amendment. 

Peter  resolved  never  to  sin  any  more.  Peter  also  said 
what  he  intended  not  to  do  any  more.  What?  To  deny 
our  Saviour,  to  tell  lies,  to  curse  and  swear.  What  had 
Peter  committed  by  doing  those  things?  Sins.  What  is 
he  resolved  never  more  to  do?  He  is  resolved  nevermore 
to  sin.  Or  we  may  say :  Peter  has  the  firm  purpose  of 
never  committing  any  more  sins.     That  is  a  resolution. 

The  resolution.  Therefore  Peter  is  resolved  to  do  a 
certain  thing,  and  also  nevermore  to  do  certain  things. 
Tell  what.  Peter  is  resolved  to  amend  his  life,  and  never 
to  sin  again.     And  what  is  this  called?     A  resolution. 

Connection  —  Firm,  earnest,  sincere.  What  was  John's 
resolution?  Did  he  mean  it?  No,  he  did  not  mean  it;  he 
was  not  sincere.  How  do  you  know  that?  What  is  Peter 
resolved  to  undergo  rather  than  sin  again?  How  was  Peter 
disposed  when  he  made  that  resolution?     He  meant  it. 

The  good  resolution.  Therefore  we  say :  Peter's  resolu- 
tion was  good.  But  who  did  not  mean  what  he  said  he 
resolved  to  do?  Was  John's  resolution  good?  No.  What 
did  Peter  resolve  to  do?  What  did  John  resolve  to  do? 
Both  resolutions  sounded  alike,  and  yet  they  were  really 
very  unlike.  Why  was  John's  resolution  bad?  Because 
he  did  not  mean  it.  Why  was  Peter's  resolution  good? 
Because  he  really  meant  to  amend  his  life  and  nevermore  to 
sin.  A  good  resolution  is  an  earnest,  or  sincere,  will,  or  a 
firm  purpose  to  amend  our  life  and  nevermore  to  sin. 

Peter's  resolution  was  united  to  contrition.  What  did 
John  say  he  felt  about  his  sins?     And  what  did  he  say  he 


490    THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

was  resolved  to  do?  And  what  did  he  intend  to  do  again? 
If  a  man  says  he  detests  something  and  yet  means  to  do 
it  again,  we  can  easily  see  that  he  really  does  not  detest  it. 
On  the  contrary,  he  finds  pleasure  in  it.  And,  therefore, 
he  is  not  truly  sorry  for  it.  What  did  Peter  feel  about 
his  sins?  And  what  did  he  say  he  was  resolved  to  do? 
What  would  he  rather  undergo  than  sin  again?  Peter 
really  detested  sin.  How  do  you  know  that  Peter  really 
detested  sin  ?  Peter  joined  the  firm  purpose  of  amendment 
with  his  contrition. 

The  firm  purpose  of  amendment,  or  the  resolution  never 
to  sin  any  more,  must  be  joined  to  contrition.  Wherefore 
Peter's  contrition  was  good,  and  our  Saviour  forgave  him 
his  sins.  But  what  did  John  mean  to  do  again?  What, 
then,  was  not  joined  to  his  sorrow?  A  good  resolution. 
Therefore  John's  sorrow  was  worthless.  How  can  you 
know  if  your  contrition  is  good?  If  I  have  a  good  resolu- 
tion along  with  it. 

Summary.  What  must  necessarily  accompany  (or  be 
joined  to)  contrition?  A  good  resolution  must  always  ac- 
company contrition.  What  is  a  good  resolution?  The 
sincere  will,  or  firm  purpose,  to  amend  one's  life  and  to 
sin  no  more. 

Application.  Dear  children,  remember  that  a  good  res- 
olution, that  is,  a  firm  purpose  of  amendment,  must  accom- 
pany our  contrition.  He  who  has  cursed  must  resolve : 
"  I  will  not  curse  again."  He  who  missed  Mass  on  Sun- 
days through  his  own  fault,  must  resolve :  "  I  will  never 
stay  away  from  Mass  any  more."  He  who  disobeyed  his 
parents,  must  say  to  himself :  "  I  will  henceforth  be  obe- 
dient, even  if  I  find  it  hard."  He  who  was  impure  in  speech, 
or  even  in  action,  must  be  resolved :  "  I  will  never  do  so 
again  for  the  whole  world ;  no,  not  even  to  save  my  life." 
And  if  some  one  would  promise  you  plenty  of  money,  or 
would  threaten  to  beat  or  even  kill  you,  as  was  done  to  St. 
Paschal,  in  order  to  make  you  sin,  you  should  tell  the  se- 


PURPOSE  OF  AMENDMENT  491 

ducer,  as  St.  Paschal  did :     "  You  can  beat  and  even  kill 
me,  but  I  will  not  commit  sin." 

in. 

Object.  I  will  now  tell  you  what  qualities  the  good 
resolution  must  have. 

Development — When  is  the  good  resolution  interior ? 
Who  had  a  good  resolution?  Why  was  Peter's  resolution 
good?  Because  he  meant  it.  He  not  only  said:  "  I  will 
not  deny  our  Saviour  again,"  but  he  really  willed  in  his 
heart  never  to  do  it  again.  How  did  he  show  this  after- 
wards? Why  was  John's  resolution  bad?  Because  he  did 
not  mean  it.  John  said,  indeed:  "I  will  never  do  it 
again  " ;  but  what  was  wanting  to  him  ?  How  did  we  call 
the  contrition  which  comes  from  the  lips  only?  How 
should  we  call  John's  resolution,  which  came  from  his  lips 
only?  Peter  also  said  with  his  lips:  "I  will  never  again 
deny  our  Saviour."  But  where  did  his  resolution  come 
from?  How  do  we  call  contrition  when  it  comes  from  the 
heart?  How  shall  we  call  the  resolution  that  comes  from 
the  heart?     Interior.     When  is  our  resolution  interior? 

The  resolution  must  be  interior.  I  have  told  you  about 
contrition  that  God  does  not  consider  what  we  say  with 
our  lips  so  much  as  what  we  mean  in  our  heart.  What 
value  before  God  has  the  contrition  that  comes  from  the 
lips?  None  at  all.  In  like  manner,  the  resolution  that 
comes  only  from  the  lips  has  no  value  before  God. 
Where  must  our  contrition  be,  if  we  wish  that  God  should 
forgive  our  sins?  In  the  heart.  In  other  words?  In- 
terior. The  resolution  also  must  be  interior  in  order  to 
be  good.  Where  then  should  we  have  our  resolution?  In 
our  heart,  in  our  interior.  Hence  the  resolution  must  be 
interior  like  the  contrition. 

Peter's  resolution  was  supernatural.  Why  did  Peter  re- 
solve never  to  sin  again?  How  did  we  call  Peter's  con- 
trition because  he  was  sorry  for  having  offended  our  di- 


492    THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

vine  Saviour?  Supernatural.  How  can  we  also  call  his 
resolution,  because  he  intended  to  avoid  sin  and  never 
again  offend  our  Savior?  Supernatural.  In  like  manner, 
if  we  resolve  not  to  sin  any  more  in  order  not  to  lose  the 
grace  of  God,  in  order  not  to  be  cast  into  hell,  our  resolu- 
tion is  also  supernatural.  When  is  our  resolution  super- 
natural ? 

The  resolution  must  be  supernatural.  Whom  do  we 
offend  when  we  sin?  Why,  then,  should  we  be  resolved 
to  avoid  sin?  What  kind  of  resolution  is  that?  What 
must  our  contrition  be?  What  must  our  resolution  be? 
Supernatural. 

When  is  the  resolution  universal?  How  many  sins 
should  we  be  sorry  for?  For  all  sins,  both  for  the  mortal 
and  the  venial.  For  which  sins  especially  should  we  be 
sorry?  Of  what  kind,  then,  is  our  sorrow?  Universal. 
Our  resolution  should  likewise  be  universal.  Which  sins 
must  we  at  least  be  resolved  to  avoid?  Of  what  kind,  then, 
is  our  sorrow?     Universal. 

The  resolution  must  be  universal.  What  would  happen 
if  we  were  not  sorry  for  one  of  our  mortal  sins?  Sup- 
pose a  child  would  not  be  resolved  to  avoid  a  certain  one 
of  his  mortal  sins.  What  would  he,  then,  do  to  God? 
Therefore  God  would  not  forgive  him ;  and  why  not  ? 
What  kind  of  resolution  should  we  have?  Our  resolution 
must  be  universal,  like  our  contrition.  What  is  the  kind  of 
resolution  we  should  have? 

The  proximate  occasion.  We  must  be  resolved  to  avoid 
something  more  than  our  sins.  You  can  learn  this  from 
Joseph,  when  he  lived  in  Putiphar's  house.  Who  was  try- 
ing to  seduce  him  (to  lead  him  into  sin)  ?  What  did 
Joseph  say  to  her?  But  that  bad  woman  went  again  after 
him.  What  did  she  even  do  on  a  certain  day?  In  Puti- 
phar's house  Joseph  was  well  treated,  and  his  master  liked 
him  very  much.  But  Joseph  preferred  being  cast  into 
prison,  than  to  live  in  that  place  where  he  was  in  danger 


PURPOSE  OF  AMENDMENT  493 

to  commit  sin.  What  did  he  do  when  that  bad  woman 
took  hold  of  his  cloak  to  lead  him  into  sin?  He  let  go 
his  cloak  and  ran  away. 

In  like  manner,  you  must  not  go  into  or  stay  in  a  house 
where  sin  is  committed.  Because  there  you  would  see  and 
hear  wicked  things,  and  you  would  soon  do  the  same.  Nor 
should  you  go  with  bad  companions.  Place  a  nice  sound 
apple  alongside  a  rotten  apple,  and  what  will  happen? 
The  sound  apple  will  soon  get  rotten.  How  does  this  hap- 
pen? The  sound  apple  gets  infected  by  the  rotten  one. 
He  who  goes  with  bad  companions,  soon  becomes  bad 
himself,  and  soon  tells  lies,  curses,  steals  and  talks  bad, 
and  does  bad  things  just  as  they  do.  And  why?  Because 
he  has  constant  occasion  to  see,  hear  and  do  evil  things. 
For  him  the  occasion  of  committing  sin  is  always  very 
near  or  proximate.  Therefore  such  places  and  such  com- 
panions are  called  a  near  or  proximate  occasion  of  sin. 
What  was  Putiphar's  house  with  regard  to  Joseph?  Give 
me  an  example  of  another  proximate  occasion  of  sin. 
What  resolution  must  you  make,  if  you  have  been  in  wicked 
places  or  with  wicked  companions?  "  I  will  never  again 
go  into  that  house ;  I  will  never  again  go  with  those  bad 
companions  " ;  in  other  words :  "  I  will  avoid  that  house 
and  those  evil  companions."  Otherwise  what  could  easily 
happen  to  you?  What  are  such  houses,  such  bad  com- 
panions to  you?  Proximate  occasions  of  sin.  What  must 
you  then  resolve  to  avoid? 

Summary.  Which  are  the  qualities  of  a  good  resolu- 
tion? Like  contrition,  our  resolution  should  be  1,  interior, 
2,  universal,  and  3,  supernatural.  When  is  our  resolution 
interior?  When  is  it  universal?  When  is  it  supernatural? 
Our  resolution  must  accompany  our  contrition.  What 
must  we  be  resolved  to  avoid?  The  good  resolution  is 
the  third  part  of  the  sacrament  of  penance. 

Application.  Reflect  a  little,  that  you  may  know  it" 
any  of  your  companions  have  already  led  you  to  curse,  to 


494   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

say  or  do  bad  things,  to  steal,  or  if  you  often  go  to  a 
house  or  place  where  you  hear  and  see  evil  things.  If 
such  is  the  case,  you  must  resolve  to  avoid  that  house, 
that  place,  those  companions.  It  will,  perhaps,  be  difficult 
for  you  to  keep  away  from  such  companions,  whom  you 
liked  to  be  with,  or  to  stay  from  that  house  or  place,  where 
you  enjoyed  yourself.  But  God  and  your  soul  should  be 
dearer  to  you  than  such  companions  or  such  places.  Prom- 
ise this  to  God,  saying  with  me :  "  O  my  God,  I  detest 
all  my  sins,  and  I  am  resolved  never  more  to  offend  Thee, 
my  most  beloved  Lord,  and  carefully  to  avoid  all  occasions 
of  sin." 


14.  The  awaking  of  Contrition  and  the  good 

Resolution. 

Connection.  Whose  help  do  you  need  to  awake  in  you 
a  true  contrition?  What  should  you  do  to  obtain  the  help 
of  the  Holy  Ghost?     What  should  you  say  to  Him  for  this? 

Object.  I  will  show  you  how  to  awake  a  true  contri- 
tion. 

I.    MOTIVES   OF   LOVE. 

I.  Think  on  God  the  Father.  That  you  may,  with 
the  grace  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  awake  true  contrition  in 
your  heart,  think  on  God  the  Father,  and  listen  to  what 
He  says  to  each  of  you.  He  says :  "  First,  I  created 
you,  otherwise  you  would  not  exist  (be  in  this  world). 
I  gave  you  a  healthy  body.  If  you  have  been  sick,  I  made 
you  well  again.  I  give  you  every  day  food  and  drink  (to 
eat  and  drink),  clothing  and  a  home,  and  all  the  good  things 
you  have.  If  it  were  not  for  Me,  you  would  have  died 
long  ago.  Secondly,  and  how  well  I  cared  for  your  soul ! 
In  holy  baptism  I  clothed  you  with  sanctifying  grace  and 
made  you  My  child.  I  gave  an  angel  to  guard  and  protect 
you   in   body   and  soul.     And  lastly,   I   gave  you   what  is 


MOTIVES  OF  CONTRITION  495 

dearest  to  Me,  My  only-begotten  Son.  Thirdly,  what  did 
I  demand  of  you  for  all  this?  All  I  demanded  of  you 
was  to  love  Me  very  much.  Therefore  I  said  to  you : 
My  child,  give  Me  your  heart.  Fourthly,  but  what  have 
you  done  ?  You  committed  sin.  How  often  did  you  offend 
Me,  your  good  Father !  You  prayed  so  carelessly,  pro- 
nounced My  name  so  irreverently,  and  behaved  so  badly 
in  church.  You  disobeyed  your  parents.  You  have  been 
so  immodest,  so  impure.  O  how  ungrateful  you  have 
been  towards  Me,  your  greatest  Benefactor !  Fifthly, 
come  back  to  Me,  you  poor,  stray  sheep  and  say  to  Me 
with  a  sorrowful  heart:  O  dear  Father,  I  am  so  sorry 
for  having  offended  Thee.  Deign  to  forgive  me !  And 
I  will  forgive  you  again,  and  take  away  your  sins  and 
bury  them  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea ;  I  will  wash  them 
away,  and  never  more  think  on  them.  I  will  again  make 
you  My  dear  child,  embrace  you  and  press  you  to  My 
heart.     O  allow  yourself  to  be  moved !  " 

Beg  pardon  of  God  the  Father,  saying  with  me :  "  O 
dear  Father,  how  good  art  Thou  to  me,  Thy  poor,  sinful 
child !  I  should  have  loved  Thee  with  all  my  heart ;  but 
I  have  so  grievously  offended  Thee  by  my  anger,  my  sloth, 
my  disobedience  and  my  other  sins.  O  how  ungrateful 
have  I  been !  How  could  I  so  shamefully  commit  sin  ? 
Would  that  I  had  rather  died  than  offend  Thee !  Deign 
to  forgive  me.  O  dear  Father,  never  will  I  again  offend 
Thee.  I  will  never  miss  Mass  through  my  fault.  Never 
again  will  I  quarrel  with  others  or  strike  them.  Never 
will  I  again  tell  lies  or  steal.  Never  will  I  again  disobey 
my  parents.  Never  more  will  I  speak  or  act  immodestly. 
Henceforth  I  will  willingly  say  my  prayers,  obey  my 
parents,  behave  well  in  church.  I  will  not,  for  the  whole 
world,  offend  Thee  again.  I  am  resolved  rather  to  die 
than  to  commit  sin.  I  am  sorry  for  all  my  sins  from  my 
inmost  heart,  because  I  have  offended  Thee,  my  most  loving 
Father.     Forgive  me.     I  hate  and  detest  all  my  sins,  and  I 


496        THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

am  resolved  never  more  to  offend  Thee,  the  best  of 
fathers." 

2.  Think  on  God  the  Son.  Now  look  up  to  our  dear 
Saviour  hanging  on  the  cross.  He  looks  at  you  with  so 
much  love  and  sorrow,  as  He  once  did  on  St.  Peter ;  and 
He  says  to  each  of  you : 

"  My  child,  I  have  redeemed  you.  For  you  I  came  down 
from  heaven  and  became  man.  For  you  I  was  born  in  a 
stable  at  Bethlehem,  and  laid  on  straw  in  a  manger.  For 
you  I  underwent  for  thirty-three  years  heat  and  cold,  hun- 
ger and  thirst ;  and  at  last  for  you  I  was  nailed  to  the  cross. 
Look  at  Me  well.  Look  at  My  head.  It  is  cruelly 
wounded  and  pierced  by  sharp  thorns.  O  how  fearfully 
it  pains  Me,  and  all  this  on  account  of  your  angry  and 
envious  thoughts.  But  I  suffer  all  for  your  sake,  that  you 
may  not  be  lost.  Look  at  My  eyes.  They  wept  bloody 
tears  on  account  of  their  great  pains.  O  how  fearfully 
they  suffer !  And  this  on  account  of  your  immodest  and 
envious  looks.  But  I  bear  all  this  willingly  for  your  sake, 
that  you  may  not  be  lost.  Look  at  My  mouth.  My  lips 
are  blue,  My  tongue  is  all  afire,  it  cleaves  to  My  palate, 
and  for  pain  it  can  no  longer  talk.  And  all  this  on  account 
of  your  lies,  your  cursing,  your  unchaste  talk.  But  I  suffer 
it  all  for  your  sake,  that  you  may  not  be  lost.  Look  at 
My  hands,  with  which  I  did  so  much  good  for  men,  cured 
so  many  sick  and  blessed  so  many  children.  See  how  they 
are  pierced  with  thick  nails  and  attached  to  the  cross !  O 
how  frightfully  they  pain  Me,  because  you  use  your  hands 
to  do  immodest  things,  to  steal,  to  strike  others.  But  I 
willingly  bear  all  this  for  your  sake,  that  you  may  not  be 
lost.  Look  at  My  feet,  pierced  and  torn  by  the  nails,  and 
bruised  and  almost  broken.  O  how  frightfully  do  they 
pain  Me,  because  you  go  to  forbidden  places  with  evil 
companions.  But  I  willingly  bear  all  this  for  your  sake, 
that  you  may  not  be  lost.  Look  at  My  whole  body.  It 
is  all  covered  with  wounds  from  head  to  foot,  and  with 


MOTIVES  OF  CONTRITION  497 

My  back  all  sore  and  bruised  leaning  against  the  hard 
cross,  hanging  on  the  cross  by  four  nails.  O  what  hor- 
rible pains  must  I  bear  in  My  whole  body,  because  your 
body  has  been  the  instrument  of  your  many  sins.  But  I 
willingly  bear  all  this  for  your  sake,  that  you  may  not  be 
lost. 

And  how  have  you  repaid  My  excessive  love?  Instead 
of  loving  Me  in  return,  you  continued  to  sin  and  to  shame- 
fully offend  Me,  your  Redeemer,  your  best  Friend.  Child, 
have  you  a  single  spark  of  love  for  Me  in  your  heart? 
If  you  had,  by  chance,  mortally  wounded  your  mother, 
you  would  fall  on  your  knees  and  cry  out  weeping  aloud : 
O  mother,  dear  mother,  forgive  your  unfortunate  child ! 
And  you  could  not  stop  weeping,  and  mingling  your  tears 
with  her  blood.  And  after  piercing  My  heart  with  your 
sins,  the  heart  of  your  divine  Redeemer,  of  your  best 
Friend,  should  not  your  heart  melt  with  sorrow,  pain  and 
love?  Should  you  not  weep  out  both  your  eyes?  Or 
would  you  say :  I  am  not  the  cause  of  Thy  death,  for  it 
was  the  Jews  that  caused  it.  But  have  you  never  com- 
mitted any  sin?  Did  I  not  have  to  suffer  for  your  sins? 
Oh,  come  now  to  Me,  beg  My  forgiveness,  and  tell  Me  that 
you  are  heartily  sorry  for  your  sins,  and  that  you  will 
love  Me,  your  best  Friend,  from  your  heart.  See,  My 
arms  are  opened  to  receive  you  and  press  you  to  My  heart, 
and  to  forgive  all  your  sins." 

Beseech  God  the  Son  to  forgive  you ;  and  say  with  me : 
O  my  Jesus,  Thou  didst  endure  too  much  for  me,  a  poor 
sinful  child.  It  pains  even  my  sinful  heart  so  much. 
Thou  didst  suffer  all  to  save  me.  Oh,  deign  to  help  me 
now  to  be  sorry  from  my  inmost  heart  for  having  so  un- 
gratefully repaid  Thy  excessive  love.  By  my  pride  I 
helped  to  press  those  sharp  thorns  into  Thy  sacred  head. 
By  my  thefts  I  caused  Thy  burning  thirst,  and  by  my 
immodesty  I  helped  to  scourge  Thee  so  frightfully.  By 
my  sloth,  I  made  Thy  cross  so  heavy.     O  Lord,  I  embrace 


498   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

Thy  sacred  body  on  the  cross,  I  kiss  Thy  wounds  a  thou- 
sand times  and  bedew  Thy  feet  with  my  hot  tears.  O 
Jesus,  how  sorry  I  am  for  having  so  greatly  offended  Thee. 
O  dearest  Saviour,  do  not  let  Thy  blood  be  wasted  on  me. 

0  crucified  Jesus,  have  mercy  on  me,  and  forgive  me  my 
sins.  O  Jesus,  be  merciful  unto  me.  O  Jesus,  pardon  me 
my  sins.  O  Jesus,  show  me  mercy.  Oh,  how  could  I  be 
so  ungrateful !  Would  that  I  had  died  rather  than  ever 
have  offended  my  beloved  Saviour ! 

O  my  Saviour,  I  beg  Thee  a  thousand  times  pardon. 
Henceforth,  I  will  never  again  offend  Thee.  I  will  not, 
for  the  whole  world  offend  Thee  by  committing  sin. 
Rather  to  die  than  sin  again.  O  my  God,  I  am  sorry  for 
all  the  sins  of  my  whole  life  from  my  inmost  heart,  be- 
cause I  offended  Thee,  my  most  amiable  Redeemer.  I 
hate  and  detest  them  all,  because  they  displease  Thee. 
(Repeat  in  part.) 

3.  Think  on  God  the  Holy  Ghost.  Now  think  on  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  listen  to  what  He  says  to  you.  '  I  have 
sanctified  you.  In  holy  baptism  I  entered  your  heart  and 
made  your  body  My  holy  temple,  and  have  dwelt  therein 
from  that  time.  I  brought  to  your  soul  the  white  garment 
of  sanctifying  grace.  In  this  precious  heavenly  garment 
your  soul  was  My  wonderfully  beautiful  image.  The 
heavenly  Father  looked  upon  you  with  pleasure,  and  said 
to  the  angels:  See,  that  is  My  beloved  child,  in  whom  I 
am  well  pleased.  In  order  to  make  My  image  in  your  soul 
still  more  beautiful,  I  bestowed  daily  new  graces  upon 
you.  Like  a  painter,  I  have  worked  and  painted  on  My 
image  in  your  soul  for  years  since  your  baptism.  And 
how  glad  I  felt  when  I  saw  it  becoming  more  and  more 
beautiful.  And  what  did  I  demand  from  you  for  all  this? 
Only  that  you  should  not  defile  My  image,  and  that  you 
should  keep  the  garment  of  sanctifying  grace.     Therefore 

1  daily  spoke  to  your  heart,  urging  you  to  do  good,  and 
warning  you  against  evil.     But  how  have  you  repaid  My 


MOTIVES  OF  CONTRITION  499 

love?  You  committed  venial  sins  and  defiled  the  white 
garment  of  your  soul  with  many,  many  little  stains.  Oh, 
how  you  would  feel  ashamed  before  the  angels  and  saints, 
if  you  could  see  the  stains  on  your  soul's  white  garment! 

Or  you  have  even  committed  mortal  sins!  Oh,  unfor- 
tunate child,  what  have  you  done?  You  have  torn  your 
soul's  white  garment,  lost  sanctifying  grace,  cast  Me  out 
of  your  heart,  and  destroyed  My  image  in  your  soul.  So 
long  had  I  worked  on  it,  and  now  it  is  all  useless.  Oh, 
how  it  pains  Me !  Heaven  weeps  over  you ;  the  angels 
weep  over  you ;  the  divine  Saviour  even  shed  blood  over 
you ;  and  yet  you  alone  will  not  weep." 

Beseech  the  Holy  Ghost  to  forgive  you.  Therefore  say 
with  me: 

"  O  my  dear  Lord,  how  good  art  Thou  towards  me,  a 
poor  sinful  child !  I  should  have  loved  Thee  with  my  whole 
heart,  and  now  I  have  so  grievously  offended  Thee.  Deign 
to  forgive  me.  O  dear  Lord,  never  again  shall  it  happen 
that  I  again  offend  Thee.  I  will  not  even  for  the  whole 
world  commit  another  sin.  I  would  rather  die.  O  my 
God,  I  am  sorry  for  all  the  sins  of  my  whole  life,  etc. 

4.  Think  on  the  infinite  Good.  O  what  beautiful 
and  good  things  the  Father,  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost 
have  given  you,  have  done  for  you !  But  God  is  still  more 
beautiful  and  good  than  all  that.  Oh,  could  I  but  tell  you 
how  beautiful  and  good,  how  rich  and  powerful  God  is ! 
He  is  more  beautiful  than  the  sun,  more  gentle  than  the 
moon,  more  bright  than  the  stars,  more  splendid  than  the 
angels  and  saints.  He  is  above  all  monarchs  and  rulers, 
more  mighty  than  all  the  angels  and  saints.  He  is  far 
more  loving  than  your  brothers  and  sisters,  than  your 
parents.  He  is  the  highest,  the  best,  the  most  lovely  Good. 
And  you  have  offended  the  highest,  the  best,  the  most 
lovely  Good.     Oh,  what  have  you  done? 

How  bad  you  feel  when  you  have  offended  your  father 
or  your  mother!     But  how  much  should  it  pain  you   for 


500   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

having  offended  God,  the  highest,  the  best,  the  most  lovely 
Good!  Should  it  not  break  your  heart?  Beg  pardon  of 
God,  the  highest  and  greatest  Good,  and  say  with  me: 

"  O  my  God,  I  am  heartily  sorry  for  all  the  sins  of  my 
whole  life,  because  I  have  offended  Thee,  the  highest  and 
most  lovely  Good.  Oh,  had  I  rather  died  than  offended 
Thee.  My  dear  Lord,  forgive  me;  be  merciful  unto  me. 
I  hate  and  detest  all  my  sins ;  I  am  firmly  resolved  never 
again  to  offend  Thee,  my  most  amiable  Good,  and  to  avoid 
carefully  the  occasions  of  sin.  I  will  rather  die  than  of- 
fend Thee  again." 

II.    MOTIVES   OF   FEAR. 

I.  Think  on  heaven.  He  who  offends  God,  the  high- 
est (chief)  Good,  by  a  mortal  sin,  cannot  go  to  enjoy  Him 
in  heaven,  because  he  lost  heaven  by  his  sin.  Oh,  if  you 
only  knew  how  beautiful  heaven  is!  St.  Paul  once  had  a 
little  glimpse  of  heaven.  Being  asked  what  he  had  seen 
there,  he  replied :  "  No  man  can  think  or  guess,  nor  can 
any  one  say  how  beautiful  heaven  is ;  no  man  has  ever  seen 
anything  so  beautiful."  The  angels  and  saints  are  around 
the  throne  of  God,  seeing  His  unspeakable  beauty  and 
filled  with  His  love.  They  never  get  tired  or  weary  see- 
ing and  loving  Him.  All  their  desires  are  fulfilled.  And 
in  their  love  and  gratitude  they  pray  and  sing  full  of 
joy  and  happiness.  "  Holy,  holy,  holy  Lord  God  of  hosts." 
And  near  God's  throne  on  a  brilliant  seat  is  Mary,  the 
Mother  of  God,  the  Queen  of  heaven,  wearing  a  crown 
of  twelve  bright  stars.  And  among  the  saints  parents  see 
their  children,  children  see  their  parents,  their  relatives, 
their  companions,  all  as  bright  as  the  sun,  and  in  perfect 
joy  and  happiness.  In  heaven  there  is  no  sorrow,  no  com- 
plaint, no  weeping,  no  pain,  no  sickness,  no  death,  no  quar- 
rels, no  bitter  feelings,  no  separation,  but  peace,  love,  life 
everlasting  and  endless  bliss.  And  by  committing  mortal 
sin  you  have  lost  that  beautiful  heaven  !     Oh,  how  miserable 


MOTIVES  OF  CONTRITION  501 

you  have  made  yourself !  Should  you  grieve  and  weep 
over  such  a  misfortune? 

2.  Think  on  purgatory.  On  account  of  your  sins  you 
have  already  deserved  that  God  should  punish  you  al- 
ready in  this  life.  The  punishments  your  parents  inflict 
on  you  are  nothing  in  comparison  with  the  punishments 
of  God.  God  sends  all  sickness ;  He  permits  those  who 
sin  to  be  wounded,  crippled,  or  to  meet  with  sudden  or 
violent  deaths.  And  if  you  had  died  in  your  venial  sins, 
where  would  you  have  gone?  You  would  be  in  the  flames 
of  purgatory.  Your  soul  would  be  undergoing  pains  and 
torments  to  expiate  those  sins. 

No  one  can  tell  how  fearfully  the  souls  must  suffer  in 
purgatory.  Sometimes  we  see  a  picture  of  purgatory.  In 
it  we  see  the  poor  souls  burning  in  those  flames  and  rais- 
ing their  hands  to  God,  begging  for  mercy,  praying  to  be 
freed  from  their  punishment  and  taken  up  to  heaven.  But 
they  must  remain  in  purgatory  until  they  have  been  per- 
fectly purified  from  every  stain  of  sin,  and  fit  to  enter 
heaven.  The  pains  of  purgatory  are  much  greater  than 
all  the  pains  that  are  endured  on  earth !  Now  if  you  were 
to  die  in  your  venial  sins,  and  without  any  mortal  sin,  you 
would  have  to  suffer  in  purgatory  for  days  and  months, 
till  you  are  fit  to  enter  heaven. 

You  see  now  how  you  have  injured  your  soul  even  by 
your  venial  sins.  Therefore  beg  pardon  of  God,  and  say 
with  me : 

"  O  my  God,  how  many  sins  have  I  already  committed 
during  my  life?  Although  I  am  still  so  young  and  so 
small,  I  have  already  deserved  great  punishments.  Often 
I  prayed  carelessly,  got  angry  with  my  companions,  dis- 
obeyed my  parents,  told  lies,  etc.  O  my  God,  deign  to 
forgive  all  the  sins  I  have  committed  during  my  whole 
life,  and  remit  the  punishments  I  have  deserved  thereby. 
Be  merciful  unto  me,  a  sinner.  Henceforth  I  will  keep 
Thy  commandments  more   faithfully,  punctually  obey  my 


502        THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

parents  and  superiors,  be  kind  towards  my  brothers  and 
sisters  and  my  companions ;  no  more  will  I  again  steal, 
tell  lies,  or  do  or  say  anything  immodest.  I  would  rather 
die  than  sin  again.     O  my  God,  I  am  sorry,"  etc. 

2.  Think  on  hell.  When  a  soul  defiled  by  mortal  sin 
leaves  her  body,  she  beholds  before  her  Jesus,  our  most 
amiable  Saviour,  our  greatest  Benefactor,  our  best  Friend, 
our  chief  and  most  lovely  God.  Jesus  is  there  to  judge 
her.  The  soul  knows  her  sinful  state  and  her  mortal  sins. 
And  yet  she  cannot  believe  that  Jesus  will  cast  her  away. 
Hence  she  hastens  towards  Jesus.  But  Jesus  repels  her, 
says :  Depart  from  Me.  During  your  life  on  earth,  you 
did  not  wish  for  Me,  and  now  I  will  not  have  you.  "  De- 
part from  Me."  Almost  dead  from  fear  the  soul  looks 
terrified  at  our  Saviour.  She  then  advances  towards  Him, 
falls  on  her  knees,  joins  her  hands  in  supplication  and  says : 
"  O  kind,  good  Shepherd,  pardon  Thy  stray  sheep  and 
receive  me  again.  O  my  most  loving  Redeemer,  Thou 
hast  so  greatly  suffered  for  me,  do  not  let  Thy  blood  be 
shed  for  me  in  vain.  Forgive  Thy  disobedient,  unhappy 
child,  and  receive  me  again."  But  Jesus  again  repels  her, 
saying :  "  Away  from  Me ;  I  am  no  longer  your  Re- 
deemer ;  you  are  no  longer  My  child.  Depart  from  Me ! " 
But  the  poor  soul  knows  not  what  to  do  now.  She  sees 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  and  hastens  to  her,  and  says,  weeping: 
"  O  dear  Mother  Alary,  thou  art  my  Mother.  Beseech 
thy  divine  Son  to  forgive  thy  unhappy  child  and  to  re- 
ceive me  again."  The  wretched  soul  strives  again  to 
approach  our  Saviour ;  but  He  says :  "  Away  from  Me 
and  from  My  Mother.  My  Mother  is  no  longer  your 
Mother ;  My  angel  is  no  longer  your  angel ;  My  saints  are 
no  longer  your  saints.  You  no  longer  have  any  part  with 
Me.     Depart  from  Me." 

"  Depart,  accursed,  from  Me.  You  served  the  devil,  and 
not  Me.  Be  now  accursed  in  body  and  soul !  Accursed  be 
your  eyes  for  yielding  to  sinful  looks.     Accursed  be  your 


MOTIVES  OF  CONTRITION  503 

ears,  for  listening  to  detraction  and  backbiting!  Accursed 
be  your  lips  for  uttering  lies,  etc.  Accursed  be  your  hands 
for  stealing.  Accursed  be  your  feet  for  going  with  evil 
companions.  Accursed  be  your  heart  for  entertaining  en- 
vious and  impure  thoughts  and  desires. 

"  Depart  from  Me,  you  accursed,  into  fire ;  into  that  fiery 
dungeon,  where  the  floor  is  of  fire,  the  walls  are  of  fire, 
where  the  ceiling  and  roof  are  of  fire,  where  the  air  is  of 
fire,  the  breath  is  of  fire ;  where  the  food  and  drink  are 
of  fire,  and  the  tears  are  of  fire.  All  the  members  of 
your  body  shall  be  of  fire;  you  shall  be  like  a  red  hot  coal 
in  the  furnace  of  hell !  "  How  horrible  are  the  torments ! 
And  for  how  long?     For  an  hour,  a  day,  a  week,  a  month? 

"  No,"  our  Saviour  says :  "  Depart  from  Me,  you  ac- 
cursed, into  everlasting  fire.  You  shall  dwell  forever  in 
those  frightful  flames,  forever  weeping,  forever  burning, 
if  you  die  with  a  mortal  sin  on  your  conscience."  But 
is  there  no  one  in  hell,  to  console  the  damned  ?  Our  divine 
Saviour  says: 

"  Depart  from  Me,  you  accursed,  into  the  everlasting 
fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels.  You  served 
the  devil  during  life ;  you  shall  be  his  companion  in  the 
fire  of  hell  for  all  eternity.  He  shall  be  your  tormenter 
forever.  You  shall  have  there  numberless  companions  who 
will  add  to  your  sufferings  at  every  moment."  In  hell, 
as  our  Saviour  says,  there  is  weeping  and  gnashing  of 
teeth,  and  the  worm  dieth  not.  That  the  worm  of  con- 
science shall  always  torment  the  damned.  It  will  con- 
stantly reproach  them  with  their  sins,  and  tell  them  how 
easily  they  could  have  been  saved,  if  they  had  only  tried 
seriously,  if  they  had  kept  from  bad  company,  if  they  had 
obeyed  their  parents,  if  they  had  followed  the  admonitions 
of  the  priest,  if  they  had  made  a  good  confession,  if  they 
had  prayed  to  Jesus  and  Mary  when  they  were  tempted 
to  commit  sin.  Their  conscience  will  constantly  tell  them 
how  easily  they  could  have  been  saved  and  enjoy  forever 


504    THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

the  delights  of  heaven,  if  they  had  imitated  the  good  ex- 
ample of  some  of  their  companions  now  in  heavenly  bliss, 
sharing  the  very  happiness  of  God,  their  Father.  But  now 
it  is  too  late  for  the  damned ;  the  time  for  penance,  for 
forgiveness  is  over,  for  out  of  hell  there  is  no  redemption ! 

But  for  you  children,  it  is  not  yet  too  late;  you  can  still 
obtain  forgiveness  by  making  a  good  confession  and  keep- 
ing henceforth  your  good  resolutions.  Ask  God's  forgive- 
ness, and  say  with  me: 

"  O  Jesus,  I  have  deserved  hell ;  be  merciful  unto  me. 

0  Jesus,  let  not  Thy  blood  be  lost  for  me.  O  Jesus,  for- 
give me  my  sins.  I  hate  and  detest  all  my  sins.  Rather 
let  me  die  than  ever  sin  again.  I  will  never  miss  Mass 
by  my  own  fault ;  I  will  pray  with  attention ;  I  will  never 
again  curse,  never  again  disobey  my  parents  and  superiors, 
never  think  or  speak  of,  or  do  immodest  or  impure  things ; 

1  will  never  again  tell  lies,  steal  or  get  angry ;  I  will  always 
behave  well  in  church,  and  be  obedient.  O  my  God,  I  am 
heartily  sorry  for  all  my  sins,  because  I  have  offended  Thee 
the  highest  and  most  lovely  God,  and  because  I  have  justly 
deserved  Thy  punishments  both  in  this  life  and  in  the  next. 
I  detest  my  sins ;  I  am  resolved  never  more  to  offend  Thee, 
my  most  amiable  God,  and  carefully  to  avoid  the  occasions 

sin. 

15.  Confession. 

Object.     I  will  now  tell  you  how  our  sins  are  forgiven. 

Preparation.  You  have  already  heard  that  Jesus  for- 
gave sins.  To  whom  did  Jesus  give  the  power  also  to 
forgive  sins?  When  did  Jesus  give  this  power  to  the 
apostles?  To  whom  did  the  apostles  transmit  this  power? 
The  priest  must  know  the  sins,  in  order  to  forgive  them. 
They  must  be  made  known  to  him.  What  must  we  do 
to  make  our  sins  known  to  the  priest?  We  must  tell  or 
confess  them  to  him.  In  confession  we  tell  our  sins  to  the 
priest,  that  he  may  know  and  forgive  them.     Where  do 


CONFESSION  505 

we  make  our  confession?  In  the  confessional.  And 
what  does  the  priest  then  do?  He  forgives  our  sins,  or 
absolves  us  from  our  sins  by  giving  us  absolution. 

Object.  I  will  now  show  you  how  to  make  a  good  con- 
fession from  the  example  of  two  boys. 

Relation.  Antony  and  Albert  were  two  bad  boys. 
They  had  committed  many  sins  together.  Antony  had  five 
times  caused  Albert  to  go  into  the  woods  on  Sundays  in- 
stead of  going  to  Mass.  Another  time  there  was  a  circus. 
Antony  said  to  Albert :  "  I  have  ten  cents ;  now  try  to 
get  some  more  at  home,  so  that  we  may  go  together  to 
the  circus  and  have  a  fine  time."  Albert  managed  to  steal 
at  home  two  dollars.  They  both  went  to  the  circus  in- 
stead of  going  to  school.  After  going  to  the  circus,  they 
felt  hungry  and  entered  a  restaurant  and,  although  they 
knew  it  was  Friday  they  ordered  and  ate  meat.  Antony 
also  had  a  bad  picture,  and  often  showed  it  to  Albert,  and 
they  talked  and  laughed  about  it.  And  Antony  once  com- 
mitted an  act  of  impurity  when  he  was  alone.  Both  com- 
mitted also  many  venial  sins.  Now  both  of  them  went  to 
confession. 

Albert  was  the  first  to  enter  the  confessional.  He  con- 
fessed his  sins  in  the  order  of  the  ten  commandments. 
When  he  came  to  the  third  he  said :  "  I  missed  Mass  five 
Sundays  through  my  own  fault ;  and  I  ate  meat  on  a  Friday 
knowingly."  When  he  came  to  the  sixth  commandment 
he  said :  "  I  looked  with  another  boy  at  an  indecent  pic- 
ture from  three  to  five  times  a  week."  At  the  seventh 
commandment  he  said :  "  I  took  once  two  dollars  from 
my  parents."  He  was  very  near  crying  aloud  when  he 
told  these  sins.  The  priest  then  asked  him :  "  How  did 
you  come  to  steal  so  much  money  from  your  parents  ?  " 
Albert  replied :  "  Another  boy  led  me  to  do  it."  Then 
the  confessor  asked  him  further :  "  What  did  you  do  with 
that  money?  "  Albert  replied :  "  We  spent  it  in  the  circus 
and  for  a  lunch  and  other  things." 


5o6   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

The  confessor  then  asked  him :  "  Did  that  other  boy 
lead  you  into  other  sins?"  Albert  answered:  'He  led 
me  into  staying  away  from  Mass,  and  into  looking  at  an 
indecent  picture  and  speaking  of  indecent  things."  Then 
the  confessor  said  to  him :  "  Consider  how  you  have 
grievously  offended  God  by  these  sins.  If  God  had  pun- 
ished you  for  them  by  a  sudden  death,  where  would  you 
now  be?  O  how  unhappy  you  have  made  yourself  by  your 
sins ! "  Albert  began  to  cry.  But  the  confessor  en- 
couraged him :  "  Do  not  be  discouraged ;  God  will  will- 
ingly forgive  you  all  these  sins,  and  all  will  be  right  again 
with  you,  if  you  are  firmly  resolved  never  again  to  offend 
God  grievously.  Moreover,  you  must  no  more  associate 
with  the  boy  that  led  you  into  these  sins.  Do  you  promise 
me  that?"  Albert  replied:  "Yes,  I  promise  you.  I  will 
never  again  go  with  him."  The  confessor  then  said  to 
him :  "  For  your  penance  you  shall  say  three  Our  Fathers 
and  three  Hail  Mary  every  day  for  three  days."  The  con- 
fession then  gave  him  absolution. 

Antony  next  entered  the  confessional.  He  was  greatly 
afraid.  The  devil  whispered  in  his  ear :  "  What  will  the 
confessor  think  of  you?  If  you  tell  all,  you  must  be  fear- 
fully ashamed  of  yourself."  Antony  began  to  tell  his  sins 
according  to  the  commandments.  At  the  third  he  said : 
"  I  missed  Mass  five  times  on  Sundays  through  my  fault." 
When  he  came  to  the  fifth,  and  was  to  confess  that  he  had 
led  another  boy  into  sin,  his  heart  began  to  beat  through 
fear.  But  he  said :  "  I  have  led  another  boy  into  grievous 
sin  five  to  seven  times  a  week."  But  he  said  the  word 
grievous  so  low  that  the  confessor  might  not  understand 
it.  When  he  came  to  the  sixth  commandment,  he  said : 
"  I  looked  with  another  boy  at  an  indecent  picture  from 
three  to  five  times  a  week."  But  when  he  was  about  to 
say :  I  have  done  an  indecent  thing  alone,  he  got  ashamed, 
and  did  not  confess  it.  About  the  seventh  commandment 
he  confessed :     "  I  stole  money  at  home."     With  regard  to 


CONFESSION  507 

the  commandments  of  the  Church  he  said :  "  I  ate  meat 
on  a  Friday,  but  I  did  not  know  it  was  Friday." 

When  Antony  got  through,  he  was  in  great  fear.  A 
voice  in  his  heart  said  to  him  all  the  time :  "  You  have 
made  a  bad  confession."  Therefore  he  could  hardly  pay 
attention  to  what  the  confessor  was  saying  to  him.  He 
almost  failed  to  understand  the  penance  the  confessor  gave 
him.  On  the  way  home  all  the  boys  who  had  gone  to  con- 
fession, felt  so  glad  and  so  happy,  for  their  heart  was  light. 
Albert  said :  '  When  I  get  home  I  will  weigh  myself  to 
see  how  much  lighter  I  have  become."  Antony  alone  was 
not  cheerful.     He  went  home  gloomy  and  peevish. 

On  the  following  day  the  priest  said  at  school :  "  Dear 
children,  you  are  now  happy ;  your  souls  are  entirely  pure, 
and  you  are  again  holy  children  of  God."  At  these  words 
Antony  first  blushed  deeply,  and  then  turned  deathly  pale, 
for  a  voice  constantly  said  to  him :  "  But  you  are  not  a 
child  of  God.  You  made  a  bad  confession."  And  from 
that  time  Antony  could  not  feel  really  happy  again.  When 
the  other  children  were  at  play,  he  was  standing  in  some 
corner  with  a  gloomy  face.  And  when  he  sometimes 
played  with  them,  he  never  found  much  pleasure  in  it. 
Sometimes  he  suddenly  stopped  playing  in  the  middle  of  a 
game,  for  his  conscience  had  whispered  to  him :  "  You 
have  made  a  bad  confession."  At  last  he  said  to  himself : 
"  I  can  no  longer  stand  feeling  so  uneasy  and  so  unhappy. 
In  my  next  confession  I  will  tell  all."  And  he  meant  to 
do  it.  But  when  he  was  in  the  confessional,  the  devil  again 
inspired  him  with  a  great  fear,  and  he  again  concealed  his 
sin.  And  he  did  the  same  in  the  following  confessions. 
He  now  felt  really  miserable.  He  found  no  pleasure  in 
praying ;  he  could  hardly  learn  anything  more ;  he  had  no 
more  rest.  He  was  almost  always  alone,  and  seldom  went 
with  his  schoolmates.  They  could  not  explain  why  he  was 
so  different  from  what  he  had  been  before.  This  lasted 
for  many  years.     When  he  was  twenty-one  years  old,  the 


508   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

news  spread  all  over:  Antony  is  dead.  How  do  you 
think  he  died?     He  had  hung  himself  in  a  barn. 

Consideration.  The  sins  of  Antony  and  Albert. 
Which  was  the  worse  boy?     Why? 

i.  Into  what  sins  was  Albert  led  by  Antony?  To  miss- 
ing Mass  for  five  Sundays ;  to  looking  at  an  indecent  pic- 
ture, and  to  indecent  conversation ;  to  steal  money  at  home. 
How  had  Albert  to  confess  those  sins?  How  had  Antony 
to  confess  them?  As  to  the  seventh  commandment  there 
was  a  difference :  what  was  it  ? 

2.  What  grievous  sin  had  Antony  committed  alone?  An 
act  of  impurity.  How  should  he  have  confessed  the  sin 
of  eating  meat  on  Friday?  How  was  Antony  to  confess 
the  sins  he  led  Albert  into? 

The  good  Confession  —  Entire.  Which  of  the  two  boys 
entered  the  confessional  first?  Albert  made  his  confession 
in  the  same  order  as  you  have  learned  in  the  examination 
of  conscience.  With  what  sins  did  he  begin  his  confession? 
With  the  sins  against  the  first  commandment.  Albert  had 
only  venial  sins  to  confess  against  the  first  and  second  com- 
mandments. I  did  not  mention  them  to  you.  Which  sins 
did  he  commit  against  the  third  commandment?  How  did 
he  confess  them?  Did  he  join  to  the  third  commandment 
the  sin  he  committed  against  the  second  commandment  of 
the  Church?  Which  sin  was  that?  How  did  he  confess 
it?  His  confession  concerning  the  third  commandment 
was  therefore  good.  What  kind  of  sins  did  he  commit 
against  the  fifth  commandment?  How  did  he  confess  the 
sins  he  had  committed  against  the  sixth  commandment? 
Which  sin  had  he  committed  against  the  seventh  command- 
ment? What  kind  of  sin  was  that?  Why?  Because  his 
parents  were  very  poor.  If  he  had  taken  only  twenty  cents 
from  them,  what  kind  of  sin  would  it  have  been  ?  A  venial 
sin.  What  makes  a  theft  a  mortal  sin?  The  value  of  the 
thing  stolen,  and  also  the  poverty  of  the  person  from  whom 
it  is  stolen.     What  do  you  call  the  thing  which  changes  a 


CONFESSION  509 

venial  into  a  mortal  sin?  A  circumstance.  How  did  Al- 
bert confess  his  sin  against  the  seventh  commandment? 
Was  his  confession  of  that  sin  good?  Albert  confessed  also 
the  sins  he  had  committed  against  the  other  commandments. 

It  is  zvell  to  confess  venial  sins  also.  What  happens  to 
our  soul  when  we  commit  a  venial  sin?  Venial  sin  does 
not  kill  the  soul,  nor  does  it  cause  the  Holy  Ghost  to  leave 
the  soul.  Therefore  we  are  not  bound  to  confess  our 
venial  sins,  and  also  there  are  other  means  of  obtaining 
the  pardon  of  them.  But  what  effect  do  venial  sins  pro- 
duce in  our  soul?  Therefore  it  is  well  to  confess  them. 
But  what  happens  to  our  soul,  if  we  commit  a  mortal  sin  ? 
Mortal  sin  kills  our  soul  and  causes  the  Holy  Ghost  to 
depart  from  it.  Therefore  we  must  confess  at  least  all  our 
mortal  sins.  Albert  confessed  all  his  mortal  and  all  his 
venial  sins. 

What  did  Albert  add  to  each  sin  he  confessed?  The 
number  of  times  he  had  committed  it.  What  did  he  add 
to  the  sin  he  confessed  concerning  the  seventh  command- 
ment? The  circumstance.  How  did  Albert  confess?  He 
first  told  each  sin  he  had  committed ;  then  he  told  the  num- 
ber of  times  he  had  committed  each  one ;  and  lastly  the 
necessary  circumstance.  He  who  confesses  in  this  manner 
confesses  well ;  and  his  confession  is  entire,  that  is,  com- 
plete. (Questions  on  this  point.)  When  is  our  confession 
entire  or  complete? 

In  confessing  his  sins  against  the  sixth  commandment 
Albert  did  not  give  a  fixed  (or  determinate)  number.  But 
how  did  he  express  the  number?  Why  did  he  say  from 
three  to  five  times  a  week?  Because  he  did  not  know  the 
exact  number  of  times.  What  must  we  do,  when  we  do 
not  know  the  exact  number  of  our  sins?  We  must  tell 
about  the  number  we  commit  every  day,  or  every  week, 
or  every  month.  But,  children,  be  careful  not  to  tell  the 
number  that  may  chance  to  present  itself  to  your  mind,  but 
you  must  first  think  over  it  and  try  to  find  out  the  number 


510   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

as  near  as  you  can,  and  then  confess  that  number  which 
you  really  believe  to  be  as  near  right  as  possible. 

Sincere.  When  the  confessor  thinks  that  the  penitent 
was  not  able  to  tell  a  sin  correctly  enough,  he  asks  ques- 
tions about  it.  What  questions  did  the  confessor  ask  Al- 
bert?    What  did  Albert  answer  to  each  question? 

Mention  no  one  by  name.  How  could  Albert  have  said 
instead  of:  "Another  boy  led  me  into  sin?"  If  he  had 
said :  "  Antony  N.  led  me  into  sin  " ;  he  would  have  told 
the  boy's  name ;  but  that  would  have  been  very  wrong, 
for  in  our  confession  we  are  not  allowed  to  give  the  name 
of  the  person  with  whom  we  sin,  or  who  led  us  into  sin. 
We  would  be  guilty  of  detraction,  if  we  did  so.  Therefore, 
we  must  never  mention  any  one  by  name  in  our  confession. 

What  other  questions  did  the  confessor  ask  Albert  about 
the  boy  who  had  led  him  into  sin?  Did  Albert  answer 
truly?  Albert  told  all  he  knew,  with  discretion  and  hu- 
mility. How  did  we  call  Peter's  contrition,  because  he 
said  with  his  lips  just  what  he  felt  in  his  heart?  What 
should  we  call  Albert's  answers?  What  must  we  do,  when 
the  confessor  asks  us  questions?  When  the  confessor  asks 
us  questions  (questions  us)  we  must  answer  sincerely  and 
humbly. 

Contrite.  How  did  Albert  feel  when  he  confessed  his 
grievous  sins?  He  felt  like  weeping.  Why?  Because  he 
was  contrite,  that  is,  he  felt  sorry  for  his  sins.  Where 
did  he  feel  this  sorrow  ?  In  his  heart ;  in  his  soul.  Be- 
cause Albert  felt  sorry  for  his  sins  when  he  confessed  them, 
we  say  that  his  confession  was  contrite.  (Repeat.)  Our 
confession  must  be  contrite. 

Confession  defined.  How  must  we  confess  our  sins? 
What  kind  of  acknowledgment  or  telling  of  sins  is  con- 
fession? Confession  is  a  contrite  acknowledgment  of  one's 
sins.  To  whom  is  this  acknowledgment  of  sins  made? 
To  the  priest.  For  what  purpose?  That  he  may  absolve 
us  from  our  sins ;  or  to  obtain  the  absolution  of  sins  from 


CONFESSION  511 

him.  Therefore  we  say :  Confession  is  a  contrite  ac- 
knowledgment or  telling  of  past  sins  to  the  priest,  in  order 
to  obtain  the  absolution  of  them. 

The  Admonition.  Before  absolving  a  penitent,  the  priest 
usually  gives  him  some  admonition,  or  some  advice,  en- 
couragement, or  some  direction.  What  admonition  did  the 
priest  give  Albert?  What  did  Albert  do?  How  did  the 
priest  console  or  encourage  him?  What  effect  did  this 
produce  on  Albert?     It  encouraged  him. 

The  Penance.  What  did  Albert  promise?  You  can 
easily  imagine  how  attentively  Albert  listened  to  the  con- 
fessor's admonition.  What  did  the  confessor  tell  Albert 
to  say?     These  prayers  are  called  the  penance.     (Repeat.) 

The  Absolution.  Albert's  sins  were  not  yet  forgiven. 
The  principal  thing  was  yet  wanting.  What  was  it?  The 
absolution.  Now  the  priest  gave  him  absolution.  By  it 
all  Albert's  sins  were  forgiven.  And  he  left  the  confes- 
sional. 

3.  The  bad  Confession  —  Fear.  How  did  Antony 
feel  before  his  confession?  Why  was  he  so  much  afraid? 
What  did  the  devil  whisper  to  him?  In  the  beginning 
Antony  told  all  his  sins  right.  What  sins  against  the  third 
commandment  did  he  confess?  How  did  he  confess  them? 
He  also  told  his  sins  right  against  the  fourth  command- 
ment. What  sins  had  he  committed  against  the  fifth  com- 
mandment? They  were  grievous  sins.  When  he  was 
about  to  confess  them,  he  felt  still  more  afraid ;  and  the 
devil  again  whispered  to  him :     "  You  cannot  tell  that." 

Not  clearly.  What  did  Antony  say?  "I  led  another 
boy  into  grievous  sins."  But  he  pronounced  the  word 
grievous  so  low,  in  order  that  the  confessor  should  not 
understand  him.  In  the  confessional  we  must  not  talk 
aloud,  lest  those  who  are  outside  should  understand.  Now 
if,  when  you  are  outside  the  confessional  waiting  for  your 
turn  to  make  your  confession,  and  you  would  chance  to 
hear  what  another  said  in  confession,  or  what  the  priest 


512   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

said  to  him,  you  must  never  mention  to  any  one  what  you 
overheard.  It  would  be  sinful  for  you  to  do  so.  That  no 
one  outside  the  confessional  should  hear  what  the  penitent 
or  the  priest  says  in  confession,  it  is  necessary  to  speak 
there  in  a  whisper  or  very  low  tone  of  voice  (softly). 
But  the  penitent  must  not  speak  too  low  or  too  softly, 
otherwise  the  priest  will  not  understand  what  he  says. 
Therefore  when  you  make  your  confession,  you  must  speak 
so  that  those  who  are  outside  cannot  understand  you,  and 
so  that  the  priest  may  hear  and  understand  everything 
you  confess ;  then  your  confession  is  clear.  When  is  the 
confession  clear?  How  did  Antony  confess  the  word 
grievous?  Why?  How  did  this  make  Antony's  confes- 
sion bad?  Because  it  was  not  clear.  When  a  person  wil- 
fully, purposely  tells  his  sins  indistinctly  (that  is,  not 
clearly),  so  that  the  confessor  cannot  understand  him,  his 
confession  is  bad,  is  worthless.  Therefore,  no  sins  can  be 
forgiven  in  such  a  confession.  Moreover,  such  a  person 
adds  another  very  grievous  sin  to  his  other  sins,  that  is  a 
bad  or  sacrilegious  confession.  If  such  a  one  has  ten 
mortal  sins  on  his  conscience  when  he  enters  the  confes- 
sional, how  many  mortal  sins  has  he  on  his  conscience  when 
he  leaves  the  confessional? 

Concealing.  What  sins  had  Antony  committed  against 
the  sixth  commandment?  How  should  he  have  confessed 
them?  But  how  did  he  confess  them?  Which  sins  did 
he  confess  correctly?  Which  did  he  conceal?  (Repeat.) 
Which  sins  had  he  committed  against  the  seventh  com- 
mandment? Which  sin  had  Antony  committed  against 
the  second  commandment  of  the  Church?  How  did  he 
confess  it?  What  kind  of  a  sin  had  he  committed?  What 
did  he  say  to  excuse  it?  Was  that  true?  He  therefore 
told  a  lie !  Therefore  he  concealed  his  sin,  for  he  knew 
it  was  Friday,  and  yet  he  said  he  had  not  eaten  it  wil- 
fully ;  and  gave  as  his  reason  that  He  did  not  know  then 
it  was  a  Friday.     His  confession  was  not  sincere ;  there- 


CONFESSION  513 

fore  it  was  a  bad,  a  sacrilegious  confession.  His  excuse 
was  no  real  excuse,  for  it  was  a  lie.  His  confession  was 
not  sincere.  Our  confession  is  sincere,  when  we  tell  our 
sins  just  as  we  know  they  are  before  God,  without  con- 
cealing or  excusing  what  is  really  a  grievous  sin. 

Application.  Suppose  you  are  making  your  confession, 
saying:  "I  took  little  things  every  day."  And  the  priest 
asks  you  :  "  Did  you  take  any  money  from  your  parents  ?  " 
You  should  say  right  away :  "  No,  I  did  not."  But  you 
must  reflect  a  little,  and  then  sincerely  and  humbly  tell 
the  priest  what  you  remember  about  it.  Children  who  are 
in  the  habit  of  telling  lies,  must  be  very  careful  at  con- 
fession. The  devil  is  glad  when  he  sees  such  children 
going  to  confession.  He  thinks :  "  These  are  my  children. 
I  will  go  into  the  confessional  with  them  and  prevent  them 
from  making  a  sincere  confession."  Such  children  should, 
before  going  to  confession,  pray  devoutly  to  the  Holy  Ghost 
to  help  them  to  make  a  sincere  confession. 

4.  Benefits  of  a  good  confession.  In  the  first  place, 
a  good  confession  gives  joy  to  God.  To  whom  do  we 
confess  our  sins?  In  whose  place  does  the  confessor  hear 
confessions?  To  whom,  then,  do  you  really  make  your 
confession?  But  God  already  knows  our  sins,  because  He 
knows  all  things.  God  knew  the  sin  of  Adam  and  Eve. 
And  yet  what  did  He  ask  them?  God  knew  also  the 
grievous  sin  of  Cain.  And  yet  what  did  He  ask  him? 
Why  did  God  ask  Adam  and  Cain  what  they  had  done? 
Because  He  wished  that  they  should  confess  their  sin.  So 
you  see  God  wishes  the  confession  of  sins.  When  you 
confess  your  sins,  you  do  what  God  wishes  you  to  do.  And 
what  does  your  confession  give  to  God?  Pleasure.  Sec- 
ondly, the  angels  also  are  pleased  when  a  child  makes  a 
sincere  confession.  They  rejoice  in  heaven  every  time  a 
sinner  makes  a  sincere  confession  of  his  sins.  Thirdly,  the 
guardian  angel  is  full  of  joy  when  the  child  he  guards  sin- 
cerely confesses  his  mortal  sins.     He  then  thinks :     "  How 


5  H        THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

glad  I  am  now  to  see  the  child  I  care  for,  become  again  a 
child  of  God."  But  more  than  all  our  divine  Saviour  re- 
joices, when  a  child  sincerely  confesses  his  mortal  sins. 
He  then  says :  "  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  of  it ;  for  I  died  for  that 
child.  I  redeemed  that  child  with  My  sufferings,  and  shed 
all  My  blood  to  save  him.  He  belonged  to  Me,  but  his 
grievous  sins  tore  him  away  from  Me  and  gave  him  to 
the  devil.     How  happy  I  am  because  he  is  again  Mine." 

The  other  boys  had  also  gone  to  confession  with  Albert. 
How  did  they  feel  on  their  way  home  ?  Joy !  They  were 
greatly  pleased.  Albert  also  felt  light-hearted.  What  did 
he  say?  And  he  found  it  easier  to  pray,  to  obey  and  be- 
come fond  of  study. 

5.  The  bad  effects  of  a  bad  Confession  —  An  uneasy 
life.  But  it  was  quite  different  with  Antony.  What  did 
he  feel  in  his  heart?  Fear  and  anxiety.  This  began  al- 
ready in  the  confessional  immediately  after  he  had  told  his 
sins.  What  did  a  voice  in  his  heart  say  to  him?  Whose 
voice  was  it?  How  do  you  see  his  fear  (dread)  while  the 
confessor  was  admonishing  him?  How  did  he  show  it  also 
when  the  priest  was  giving  him  his  penance?  How  did 
he  behave  on  his  way  home?  WThy  could  he  not  be  cheer- 
ful? On  the  following  day,  when  the  priest  came  into 
the  school,  Antony  showed  again  his  fear  and  anxiety. 
What  did  the  priest  say  to  the  children?  What  happened 
then  to  Antony?  Antony  could  no  longer  feel  easy,  for 
his  conscience  always  kept  on  reproaching  him. 

Cain.  What  is  the  name  of  the  man  mentioned  in  Bible 
History,  whose  conscience  always  kept  reproaching  him 
with  his  crime?  What  did  his  conscience  say  to  him? 
Cain  wandered  about  the  country  from  place  to  place  to 
escape  hearing  the  reproaches  of  his  conscience.  But 
wherever  he  went,  he  heard  that  voice  saying :  "  You  are 
a  murderer."     What  is  it  that  he  could  find  nowhere? 

Antony  also  heard  everywhere  the  voice  of  his  con- 
science.    Therefore    he    could    never    again    be    cheerful. 


CONFESSION  515 

What  did  he  do  when  the  other  boys  were  playing?  Why 
did  he  sometimes  suddenly  stop  playing  in  the  middle  of  a 
game?  What  did  that  voice  say  to  him  when  he  rose  in 
the  morning,  and  when  he  retired  to  rest  at  night?  What 
is  it  that  he  could  not  find  anywhere?  What  kind  of  life 
did  he  live  in  his  sins?  A  restless  life.  What  did  this 
cause  him  ?  To  feel  as  if  he  no  longer  could  stand  it. 
What  did  he  then  resolve  to  do?  To  make  a  good,  sincere 
confession.  Did  he  try  to  fulfil  this  resolution?  What 
then  happened  to  him  at  confession?  And  then  what  did 
he  do?  He  again  concealed  his  sins,  and  made  another 
bad  confession.  He  did  the  same  thing  every  time  he 
went  to  confession  afterwards. 

A  miserable  death.  What  was  said  about  him,  when  he 
became  twenty-one  years  old?  How  did  he  die?  What 
kind  of  sin  did  he  commit  by  hanging  himself? 

Where  do  they  go  who  die  without  sin  on  their  con- 
science? To  heaven.  Such  a  death  is  a  happy  death. 
But  where  does  he  go,  who  has  one  or  more  mortal  sins 
on  his  conscience  when  he  dies?  To  hell.  That  is  the 
greatest  misfortune.  Therefore  we  call  Antony's  death  an 
unhappy  or  a  bad  death.  What  was  the  cause  of  Antony's 
unhappy  death?     His  want  of  sincerity  in  confession. 

The  shame  on  the  last  day.  The  sins  which  Antony 
concealed  in  his  confessions  will  one  day  be  published  to 
all  mankind.  On  the  day  of  the  general  judgment  all  the 
sins  of  the  damned  will  be  visible  as  horrible  spots  on  the 
faces  of  the  damned  so  that  all  men  and  all  angels  may 
see  and  know  them.  Then  everybody  will  say :  '  Look 
at  so  and  so,  how  ugly  and  hideous  he  looks.  Look  at 
so  and  so;  see  how  awful  he  looks  for  concealing  his  sins 
in  confession !  "  What  a  shame  will  it  then  be  for  the 
sinner,  for  him  who  concealed  his  sins  in  confession,  when 
God,  the  angels  and  the  saints  will  know  and  read  his  sins 
marked  on  his  face  ! 

How  did  Antony  live  after  his  bad  confession?     How 


516    THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

did  he  die?  What  shall  happen  to  him  on  the  last  day? 
He  shall  be  put  to  shame  before  the  whole  world !  How 
will  he  then  feel?  He  would  wish  the  earth  to  open  and 
swallow  him  up,  that  all  men  might  not  see  his  sins! 

Heaven  grieves  over  him.  What  should  he  have  done  to 
prevent  all  this  misery  and  shame?  WThen  Antony  entered 
the  confessional,  the  heavenly  Father  had  His  arms  al- 
ready extended  to  press  him  to  His  fatherly  heart.  His 
guardian  angel  was  standing  alongside  of  Antony,  think- 
ing: "If  he  only  confesses  all  his  sins  well!"  Even  the 
Blessed  Virgin  and  his  holy  patron  were  ready  to  cele- 
brate a  joyful  feast  on  his  account.  But,  alas !  Antony's 
confession  was  not  sincere.  Hence  the  heavenly  Father 
had  to  repel  him  with  horror.  His  guardian  angel  weeping 
left  his  side,  and  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  his  holy  patron 
grieved  over  him. 

Hell  exults  over  him.  But  there  was  one  who  greatly 
rejoiced  over  him.  Who  could  that  be?  Yes;  not  only 
one  devil,  all  in  hell  rejoiced  at  the  insincere  confession 
of  Antony.  Therefore  the  devil  had  whispered  to  him  in 
the  confessional:  "You  cannot  tell  that,  otherwise,"  etc. 
The  devil  frequently  does  that.  When  a  child  fears  com- 
mitting a  sin,  the  devil  whispers  to  him :  "  You  need 
not  be  ashamed ;  do  it.  That  is  not  so  very  bad.  That  is 
nothing."  But  when  the  child  goes  to  confession,  the  devil 
comes  again ;  but  he  speaks  quite  differently.  "  What ! 
you  cannot  tell  that.  You  would  have  to  be  terribly 
ashamed  before  the  priest,  if  you  would  tell  it."  But  that 
is  not  true ;  the  devil  lies. 

The  confessor  is  kind.  The  priest  in  the  confessional 
is  like  a  good  mother,  a  very  kind  father.  Suppose  a  child 
has  done  something  very  bad.  He  goes  to  his  mother  or 
to  his  kind  father,  full  of  sorrow,  and  sincerely  acknowl- 
edges the  wicked  thing  he  has  done.  Will  his  father  treat 
him  harshly?  Will  he  be  very  severe  towards  him?  Oh, 
no;   God  has  given  the  father  a  kind  heart  to  forgive  a 


CONFESSION  517 

child  that  sincerely  tells  his  fault  and  is  heartily  sorry  for 
it. 

God  has  also  given  the  priest  in  the  confessional  a  good, 
kind  heart  for  the  penitent.  When  a  child  tells  all  his  sins 
sincerely,  the  priest  rejoices  over  it,  for  he  sees  then  that 
the  child  is  in  earnest  and  wishes  to  do  right.  He  treats 
the  penitent  in  a  friendly  and  kind  manner,  as  a  good 
father  does  his  child.  Therefore  we  address  the  priest  in 
the  confessional  by  the  name  of  "  Father."  The  confessor 
will  not  scold  a  sincere  child ;  on  the  contrary,  he  will  feel 
only  too  happy  to  absolve  him  and  to  love  and  honor  him 
as  a  good  child  of  God. 

The  confessor  is  discreet.  A  child  needs  never  be  afraid 
that  the  confessor  will  tell  others  anything  of  the  child's 
confession.  The  confessor  will  never  say  a  word  about 
it.  He  quickly  forgets  what  is  told  him  in  confession. 
And  even  if  he  should  remember,  he  dare  not  say  a  word 
about  it.  God  has  strictly  commanded  him  to  keep  silent 
on  what  is  confessed  to  him.  A  man  who  does  not  repeat 
what  he  hears,  is  called  discreet?  Why  is  the  confessor 
discreet? 

The  seal  of  confession.  When  a  person  writes  an  im- 
portant letter,  he  not  only  closes  it,  but  he  carefully  seals 
it,  that  no  one  may  be  able  to  read  it,  except  him  to  whom 
it  is  addressed.  In  like  manner,  the  priest  is  most  strictly 
obliged  to  keep  his  mouth  sealed  about  all  that  he  hears 
in  confession.  He  to  whom  the  sealed  letter  is  addressed, 
is  the  only  one  who  has  the  right  to  break  the  seal  to  open 
the  letter.  But  no  priest  is  ever  allowed  to  break  the  seal 
of  confession.  A  confessor  must  rather  undergo  any  suf- 
fering, any  hardship,  and  even  death  itself,  than  ever  to 
reveal  what  he  heard  in  confession. 

Why  should  no  one  be  ashamed  to  tell  his  sins  sincerely 
in  confession  to  the  priest?  The  confessor  is  so  kind;  the 
confessor  is  discreet.  Antony  should  have  thought  of  that. 
What  would  have  been  the  result,  when  he  was  making 


5.i8        THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

his  confession?  In  his  after  life?  He  would  not  have 
lived  in  sin  and  worry.  At  his  death?  He  would  not 
have  died  an  unhappy  death.  What  would  he  then  avoid 
on  the  last  day? 

Which  is  better,  to  conceal  your  sins  in  confession  out 
of  shame,  or  to  tell  your  sins  sincerely  to  a  kind  and  dis- 
creet priest?  What  misfortune  follows  during  life  an  in- 
sincere confession?  At  death?  On  the  last  day?  What 
then  should  a  child  consider,  when  he  feels  ashamed  to  tell 
some  sin  or  other  in  confession?  He  should  consider  that 
it  is  far  better  to  confess  his  sins  to  a  discreet  priest,  than 
to  live  worrying  in  his  sins,  to  die  a  bad  death,  and  to  be 
disgraced  on  the  last  day  before  the  whole  world. 

Dear  children,  if  you  have  had  the  misfortune  to  commit 
some  grievous  sin,  for  instance,  against  the  sixth  or  the 
seventh  commandment,  and  you  are  very  much  afraid  or 
ashamed  to  tell  it  to  the  priest  in  confession,  you  should 
pray  fervently  before  going  to  confession  to  the  Holy 
Ghost,  to  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  to  your  guardian  angel 
for  grace  and  courage  to  tell  it  sincerely  in  confession. 
Pray  to  the  Holy  Ghost :  "  O  Holy  Ghost,  give  me  the 
grace  and  courage  to  tell  all  my  sins  in  confession  sincerely, 
especially  this  sin  (mention  it)  ;  do  not  permit  that  I  should 
conceal  it."  Then  say  three  times  the  Glory  be  to  the 
Father,  etc.,  in  honor  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  After  this  say: 
"  O  Mary,  Mother  of  Jesus  and  my  Mother  also,  refuge 
of  sinners;  I  am  a  sinful  child  and  have  not  the  courage 
to  confess  this  sin  (mention  it).  O  dear  Mother,  help  me 
to  confess  it  sincerely,  so  that  I  may  not  offend  Jesus  still 
more  and  lose  my  soul.  O  Mary,  help  me."  Then  say 
the  Hail  Mary  three  times.  Then  say :  "  O  my  good 
guardian  angel,  my  protector,  do  not  forsake  me  now. 
The  devil  is  doing  all  he  can  to  keep  me  from  telling  all 
my  sins  in  confession,  in  order  to  drag  me  into  hell.  God 
has  appointed  thee  to  help  me.  Now  I  am  in  great  need 
of  thy  help.     Help  me  to  make  a  good  confession  and  to 


CONFESSION  519 

tell  this  sin  (mention  it)  to  the  priest."  Then  say  one 
Our  Father,  one  Hail  Mary,  one  Glory  be  to  the  Father, 
etc.,  in  honor  of  your  guardian  angel.  And  if  when  you 
are  in  the  confessional  you  lose  courage,  say  to  the  priest : 
"  Father,  I  committed  a  sin  (or  some  sins)  which  I  have 
not  the  courage  to  confess  sincerely ;  please  help  me  to  do 
so."  Then  the  priest  will  kindly  ask  you  some  questions 
to  find  out  what  sin  you  have  not  the  courage  to  confess, 
in  order  to  help  you  to  tell  it.  Remember  that  the  priest 
is  only  too  glad  to  help  you  to  make  a  good  confession. 
But  be  sure  to  give  a  true  answer  to  every  question.  If 
you  do  so,  how  happy  you  will  feel !  It  will  be  like  a  big 
load  taken  off  your  heart,  for  your  sins  shall  be  forgiven. 
(Ask  questions  and  rehearse  the  prayers.  All  this  is  very 
important.) 

Summary.  What  is  confession?  Confession  is  the  con- 
trite acknowledgment  of  past  sins  to  a  priest,  to  obtain 
the  absolution  of  our  sins  from  him.  Which  are  the  quali- 
ties of  confession?  Confession  must  be  complete  (entire), 
sincere  and  distinct  (clear).  When  is  the  confession  com- 
plete? When  we  confess  at  least  all  our  mortal  sins,  to- 
gether with  their  number  and  their  necessary  circumstances. 
If  we  do  not  know  their  exact  number,  what  must  we  do? 
We  must  tell  it  as  near  as  we  can.  If  a  sin  is  habitual, 
we  may  confess  it  by  saying  about  how  often  we  committed 
it  every  day,  or  every  week,  or  every  month.  Are  we 
obliged  to  confess  our  venial  sins?  Although  we  are  not 
obliged  to  confess  our  venial  sins,  it  is  well  and  profitable 
to  do  so.  When  is  our  confession  sincere?  When  we 
confess  our  sins  just  as  we  know  them  before  God,  without 
concealing  or  excusing  them.  What  should  we  consider, 
when  we  feel  ashamed  or  afraid  to  confess  some  grievous 
sin  ?  We  should  consider :  "  It  is  a  thousand  times  better 
to  confess  them  to  a  discreet  priest,  than  to  lead  a  restless 
and  worried  life,  to  die  an  unhappy  death,  and  to  be  dis- 
graced on  the  last  day  before  the  whole  world."     When 


520    THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

is  our  confession  distinct?  Our  confession  is  distinct  when 
we  tell  our  sins,  so  that  the  priest  can  understand  all  we 
say  to  him. 

Application.  There  was  over  five  hundred  years  ago  a 
very  cruel  king  in  Bohemia.  He  wished  to  find  out  what 
sins  the  queen  told  the  priest  in  confession.  He  sent  for 
her  confessor,  who  was  a  real  saint.  His  name  was  John 
Nepomucene.  The  king  said  to  him :  "  I  want  you  to 
tell  me  what  the  queen  said  to  you  in  confession."  But 
John  answered  not  a  word.  The  king  then  cried  out:  "  If 
you  do  not  tell  me,  you  will  find  out  what  I  will  do  to  you." 
But  the  holy  priest  paid  no  attention  to  what  the  king  said. 
Then  the  king  ordered  his  body  to  be  burned  with  torches. 
But  the  priest  remained  steadfast  and  would  not  tell  even 
a  word  of  the  queen's  confession.  Then  the  bad  king  con- 
demned the  holy  priest  to  death.  He  was  cast  into  the 
river  with  a  big  stone  tied  to  him,  and  he  was  drowned. 
He  had  preferred  to  suffer  death  rather  than  reveal  what 
he  had  heard  in  confession.  A  number  of  other  priests 
have  died,  others  have  suffered  imprisonment  rather  than 
break  the  seal  of  confession.  And  every  priest  is  bound 
to  suffer  every  kind  of  torment,  and  even  death,  rather 
than  reveal  a  penitent's  confession.  Therefore,  you  can 
safely  tell  all  your  sins  to  the  priest  in  confession. 

Here  is  a  beautiful  picture.  Look  at  it.  What  do  you 
see?  A  lamb.  What  is  around  the  lamb?  Thorns.  The 
lamb  got  entangled  in  these  thorns  and  can  no  longer  get 
loose  from  them.  What  would  happen  to  it?  It  would 
die.  Who  is  kneeling  beside  the  lamb?  A  man.  What 
has  He  in  His  hand?  A  staff.  A  shepherd's  staff.  The 
man  is  a  shepherd.  What  is  He  doing?  He  is  loosening 
the  lamb  from  the  thorns.  Here  is  another  picture. 
Where  has  the  Shepherd  put  the  lamb  ?  On  His  shoulders. 
After  freeing  the  lamb  from  the  thorns,  the  Shepherd,  full 
of  joy,  placed  the  lamb  on  His  shoulders  to  bring  it  home. 

Who  is  this  Good  Shepherd?     It  is  Jesus.     Who  is  that 


SATISFACTION  521 

stray  lamb?  It  is  a  child  that  got  entangled  into  his  sins. 
That  child  cannot  free  himself  from  his  sins.  And  what 
would  then  happen  to  him?  He  would  die  in  his  sins  and 
be  condemned  to  hell.  But  Jesus,  the  Good  Shepherd, 
comes  to  his  help.  In  confession  He  frees  the  sinner  from 
the  thorns  of  his  sins ;  and  then  He  takes  him  again  as 
His  child,  and  brings  him  back  to  the  heavenly  Father. 

Dear  children,  you  are  going  to  confession.  Are  you 
going  to  confess  like  Antony,  or  like  Albert?  Are  you 
going  to  give  joy  in  your  confession  to  the  devil  or  to 
your  guardian  angel?  From  this  day  say  a  prayer  daily 
to  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  to  your  guardian 
angel  till  the  day  of  your  confession,  that  you  may  make  a 
good  confession. 

16.  Satisfaction. 

Object.  Have  we  done  all  that  was  necessary,  when 
our  confession  is  over?  Need  we  do  anything  more?  Let 
us  see. 

I.    DEVELOPMENT. 

i.  Atoning  for  the  temporal  punishment  due  to  sin 
—  Expiating  or  paying  up.  Charles  stole  ten  dollars  from 
his  neighbor.  When  his  father  found  that  out,  he  said : 
"  Wait,  boy,  you  shall  pay  me  for  that.  I  will  soon  cure 
you  of  stealing."  What  would  you  say,  if  Charles'  father 
would  give  him  only  one  blow  of  the  rod?  That  will  not 
do;  that  is  not  enough.  One  stroke  of  the  rod  is  not  suffi- 
cient for  so  great  a  sin.  What  did  Charles  deserve  for 
it  ?  A  severe  punishment ;  a  rigorous  penance.  But  he 
received  severe  punishment  from  his  father.  It  was  only 
when  Charles  had  enough,  that  his  father  ceased  punishing 
him.  And  why?  Because  the  punishment  had  its  effect, 
and  therefore,  it  was  enough.  Charles  had  sufficiently 
atoned  for  his  theft.  Why  was  Charles  punished?  To 
expiate  (atone  for)  his  sin. 


522    THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

All  men  have  deserved  punishment.  Who  committed 
the  first  grievous  sin  on  earth  ?  How  did  God  punish  Adam 
and  Eve  for  it?  They  were  driven  out  of  paradise,  con- 
demned to  work  hard,  to  sweat,  to  suffer  cold ;  Eve  would 
have  much  to  suffer  from  her  children ;  and  both  were  to 
die.  How  long  did  those  punishments  last?  Until  their 
death.  These  punishments  were  not  everlasting,  but  only 
for  a  time,  only  temporal. 

Temporal  punishments.  Where  are  these  punishments 
expiated?  Where  should  Adam  and  Eve  have  gone  after 
their  death  to  be  punished?  Because  all  men  are  children 
of  Adam  and  Eve,  all  men  should  have  gone  there  also 
after  their  death.  By  what  sin  does  a  man  deserve  the 
punishment  of  hell  every  time  he  commits  it?  How  long 
will  the  pains  of  hell  last?  Forever.  What  are  they, 
therefore,  called?     Eternal  punishment. 

Our  divine  Saviour  atoned  for  the  eternal  punishment  we 
deserved.  God  created  men  not  for  hell,  but  for  heaven. 
Therefore  the  Son  of  God  said  to  His  heavenly  Father: 
"Do  not  cast  men  into  hell;  I  will  atone  (suffer  punish- 
ment) for  them."  How  did  the  Son  of  God  atone  for  us? 
In  His  passion  and  death  our  Saviour  underwent  such 
great  sufferings,  as  if  He  had  been  burnt  in  hell  for  us. 
In  this  manner  He  atoned  for  the  eternal  punishment  we 
deserved.  And  what  did  He  deserve  for  us  at  the  same 
time?  Grace.  Where  is  grace  contained?  In  which  sac- 
raments are  our  sins  forgiven?  What  must  we  do  to  ob- 
tain the  forgiveness  of  our  sins  in  the  sacrament  of  pen- 
ance? Be  sorry  for  them  and  confess  them.  What  is 
forgiven  us  together  with  our  mortal  sins?  The  eternal 
punishment  is  remitted  to  us  together  with  our  mortal  sins. 
This  is  the  case  in  every  good  confession. 

We  must  also  do  penance  ourselves  for  a  time.  It  would 
not  be  right,  if  we  had  nothing  to  suffer  for  our  sins,  since 
our  innocent  Saviour  suffered  so  much  for  us.  Therefore 
God  wills  that  we  also  should  do  some  penance  for  our 


SATISFACTION  '523 

sins.  For  this  reason  He  sends  to  men  sickness,  poverty, 
misfortune,  storms,  death,  and  sends  them  for  a  long  time  to 
purgatory.  How  do  we  call  the  punishments  that  we  have 
to  undergo  on  earth  and  in  purgatory?  Temporal  punish- 
ments. 

Some  have  to  atone  more,  others  less.  Who  will  receive 
more  temporal  punishment,  he  who  has  committed  few  sins, 
or  he  who  has  committed  many  sins?  He  who  has  com- 
mitted mortal  sins,  or  he  who  has  committed  only  venial 
sins? 

The  paralytic  atoned  for  all  his  temporal  punishment 
on-  account  of  his  great  contrition.  He  had  committed 
many  grievous  sins.  What  punishment  had  he  to  suffer? 
He  was  sick  for  thirty-eight  years.  But  he  was  very  sorry 
for  his  sins.  Therefore  our  Saviour  not  only  remitted  his 
sins  and  their  everlasting  punishment  in  hell,  but  also  com- 
pletely cured  him.  Which  punishment  did  he  thereby  re- 
mit?    The  temporal  punishment. 

God  remits  to  us  also  at  least  a  part  of  the  temporal 
punishment.  If  we  are  as  sorry  for  our  sins  as  we  can 
possibly  be,  God  remits  to  us  in  the  sacrament  of  penance 
all  the  temporal  punishment  due  to  us.  But  to  those  who 
are  not  so  sorry  as  that,  God  remits  in  the  sacrament  of 
penance  only  a  part  of  the  temporal  punishment.  This  is 
usually  the  case  at  confession.  Which  punishment  does 
God  not  always  remit  with  our  sins?  Which  punishment 
does  He  always  remit  with  our  sins?  God  always  remits 
the  eternal  punishment  together  with  our  sins,  but  not  al- 
ways all  the  temporal  punishment.  The  rest  of  the  tem- 
poral punishment  we  must  atone  for  ourselves. 

For  this  purpose  the  confessor  imposes  a  penance.  How 
did  Charles'  father  make  him  expiate  his  theft?  He  pun- 
ished him.  At  confession  the  confessor  punishes  us  in 
God's  place  for  our  sins,  by  giying  us  a  penance.  For 
instance,  he  says  to  us :  "  For  your  penance  say  five  times 
the  Our  Father  and  five  times  the  Hail  Mary  " ;  or,  "  say 


524   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

the  Litany  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  " ;  or,  "  say  the  rosary  or 
beads." 

Which  punishment  for  sin  do  we  atone  for  by  fulfilling 
the  penance  the  confessor  gives  us?  The  temporal  punish- 
ment. By  this  penance  we  satisfy  for  our  sins.  How  did 
Charles'  father  punish  him  ?  Until  he  had  enough ;  until 
he  had  atoned  (satisfied)  for  his  theft.  We  also  atone 
for  our  sins,  till  we  have  done  enough.  That  is  why  the 
confessor  imposes  a  penance  upon  us.  If  by  our  penance 
we  atone  for  as  much  punishment  as  we  deserve,  we  have 
done  enough,  and  satisfied  God.  By  doing  the  penance  the 
priest  gives  us  in  confession,  we  satisfy  God. 

II.    THE   AMENDMENT   OF    LIFE. 

We  shall  see  what  the  punishment  was  for  besides,  which 
Charles  received  for  his  theft.  If  his  father  had  not  pun- 
ished him,  Charles  would  most  probably  have  stolen  again, 
and  would  get  accustomed  to  steal  and  become  a  regular 
thief.  But  what  did  he  think  every  time  he  felt  tempted 
to  steal?  And  what  would  such  a  thought  do  to  him?  It 
would  keep  him  from  yielding  to  the  temptation  and  steal- 
ing again.  What  help  did  those  blows  afford  him? 
Helped  to  keep  him  from  stealing;  helped  him  to  become 
a  better  boy ;  helped  him  to  amend  his  life.  What  did  his 
father  say  to  him  when  punishing  him?  Why  did  his 
father  punish  him?     To  amend  his  life. 

God  wills  that,  after  our  confession,  we  should  be  more 
on  our  guard  against  committing  sin,  for  instance,  against 
stealing,  disobeying,  telling  lies,  cursing,  etc.  Therefore 
the  confessor,  in  God's  place,  imposes  a  penance  on  the 
penitent;  and  the  confessor  gives  such  a  penance  as  will 
help  him  to  become  better.  For  instance,  to  a  child  who 
curses,  the  confessor  may  say :  "  For  your  penance  you 
shall  say  every  time  you  curse  again:  Our  Father,  who 
art  in  heaven ;  hallowed  be  Thy  name."  Now  suppose 
such  a  child  curses  again  soon  after  his  confession.     What 


SATISFACTION  525 

must  he  then  do  ?  His  conscience  tells  him  right  away : 
"  You  have  cursed  again,  you  must  do  your  penance,  and 
say  with  devotion :  Our  Father,  who  art  in  heaven ;  hal- 
lowed be  Thy  name."  The  child  does  this,  and  afterwards 
takes  more  care  to  keep  from  cursing.  Perhaps  he  curses 
again  the  next  day.  What  does  his  conscience  tell  him? 
What  does  he  do?  After  this  he  takes  still  better  care 
to  keep  from  cursing.  His  penance  is  always  before  him, 
when  he  feels  tempted  to  curse.  And  then  in  a  short  time 
he  is  able  to  get  rid  of  his  bad  habit  of  cursing,  and  he 
amends  his  life.  So  you  see  that  that  child,  by  means  of 
his  penance  atones  for  the  temporal  punishment  due  for 
his  sins,  and  succeeds  in  amending  his  life. 

The  salutary  penance.  You  have  a  sore  finger,  and  you 
put  on  it  a  poultice.  Why  do  you  do  that?  A  bad  habit, 
such  as  cursing  or  telling  lies  is  like  a  disease  or  a  sore 
on  the  soul.  And  the  medicine  or  the  poultice  that  is  to 
heal  it,  is  the  penance  imposed  by  the  confessor.  What 
is  the  use  of  that  penance  for  the  soul's  sickness  or  sore? 
It  is  intended  to  cure  it.  Therefore  we  call  it  salutary 
penance,  that  is,  a  penance  that  cures.  In  confession  we 
ask  the  confessor  for  such  a  penance. 

Definition  of  Satisfaction.  What  do  you  give  to  God, 
when  you  perform  the  penance  the  confessor  has  given 
you?  Satisfaction.  Therefore  we  say:  Satisfaction  is 
the  performance  oi  the  penance  imposed  by  the  confessor. 
(Repeat.)  Satisfaction  is  the  fifth  part  of  the  sacrament 
of  penance. 

III.    THE   PERFORMANCE    OF   THE    PENANCE. 

Not  to  perform  the  penance.  You  should  willingly  re- 
cite the  penance  given  you  by  the  confessor.  As  soon  as 
he  tells  it  to  you,  you  should  think :  "  God  sends  me  this 
penance ;  I  will  willingly  perform  as  a  punishment  for  my 
sins."  But  if  you  would  immediately  think  in  the  con- 
fessional :     "  That  penance  is  too  big ;  I  will  not  say  it " ; 


526   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

you  would  commit  a  mortal  sin  and  cause  your  confession 
to  be  bad.     What  are  the  effects  of  a  bad  confession? 

Punctually  to  perform  the  penance.  I.  You  must  per- 
form the  penance  exactly  as  the  confessor  told  you.  If 
he  told  you :  "  Say  five  Our  Fathers  kneeling,"  you  must 
say  them  kneeling,  and  not  standing  or  sitting  down.  If 
he  says :  "  Say  five  Our  Fathers  before  the  cross,"  you 
say  them  there  and  nowhere  else.  2.  Suppose  the  con- 
fessor says :  "  Say  three  Our  Fathers  and  three  Hail 
Marys " ;  how  many  times  must  you  say  those  prayers  ? 
Only  once.  When  the  priest  does  not  tell  you  the  num- 
ber of  times,  it  means  that  you  should  say  them  only  once. 
3.  If  the  confessor  tells  you :  "  Say  three  Our  Fathers 
and  three  Hail  Marys  for  three  days."  What  does  he 
mean?  He  means  that  I  should  say  three  Our  Fathers 
and  three  Hail  Marys  on  the  day  of  my  confession;  the 
same  on  the  next  also,  and  the  same  also  on  the  second 
day  after  my  confession.  But  a  child  may  say :  "  I  al- 
ways say  all  my  penance  at  once  after  my  confession,  be- 
cause, if  I  did  not,  I  might  forget  it."  But  this  is  not 
what  the  confessor  wishes  you  to  do.  He  wishes  you  in 
this  case  to  say  some  of  it  every  day  for  a  number  of  days, 
partly  in  order  not  to  give  you  too  long  a  penance  to  say 
at  once,  and  partly  in  order  to  make  you  think  longer  of 
your  confession  and  of  the  good  resolutions  you  made. 
Nevertheless,  it  would  not  be  a  mortal  sin,  if  you  said  the 
penance  all  at  once  after  your  confession. 

The  forgotten  Penance.  Suppose  a  child  receives  the 
penance  of  saying  three  Our  Fathers  and  three  Hail  Marys 
for  three  days.  He  thinks :  "  That  is  not  much ;  I  will 
willingly  say  those  prayers."  Therefore  after  leaving  the 
confessional  he  says  three  Our  Fathers  and  three  Hail 
Marys  for  the  first  day.  But  he  is  light-minded  and  for- 
gets to  say  his  penance  the  two  following  days.  Is  his 
confession  bad?  No,  he  confessed  sincerely,  and  intended 
to  do  the  penance;  but  on  account  of  his  levity  he  may 


SATISFACTION  527 

have  committed  a  venial  sin ;  and  he  surely  lost  many  graces 
by  his  forget  fulness.  If  he  later  on  remembers  the  pen- 
ance, he  should  say  it,  and  in  his  next  confession  he  should 
tell  the  priest :     "  I  forgot  twice  to  say  my  penance." 

Rigorous  penances  of  ancient  times.  Now-a-days  the 
confessor  does  not  usually  impose  big  penances,  but  only 
light  ones.  In  olden  times  the  penances  imposed  in  con- 
fession were  very  much  heavier.  Those  who  swore 
through  levity,  had  to  fast  for  seven  days,  eating  only 
dry  bread,  and  drinking  only  water.  Therefore  we  call  it 
a  seven-days'  fast  on  bread  and  water.  For  talking  in 
church  the  penance  was  a  ten-days'  fast  on  bread  and 
water.  For  disrespect  of  parents,  it  was  a  forty-days'  fast 
on  bread  and  water.  For  a  sin  of  impurity,  a  fast  on 
bread  and  water  for  forty  to  one  hundred  days. 

Now  think  how  long  some  of  you  would  have  to  fast, 
if  the  confessor  would  now  impose  similar  penances  for 
grievous  sins !  How  long  would  you  have  to  fast  merely 
for  talking  in  church !  Make  it  out  when  you  go  home. 
If  this  were  now  practised,  some  children  would  have  to 
fast  all  their  life  on  bread  and  water ! 

Formerly  the  penance  given  by  the  confessor  sufficed  to 
atone  for  all  the  temporal  punishment  due  for  sin.  In 
those  times  those  who  conscientiously  performed  those 
rigorous  penances,  surely  atoned  for  all  the  temporal  pun- 
ishment due  for  their  sins.  Such  persons  satisfied  God 
entirely  by  these  penances.  Where  did  such  persons  go 
immediately  after  their  death? 

God  still  demands  now  from  lis  as  much  penance  as 
formerly.  And  now  compare  with  such  penances  the 
light  penances  the  confessor  imposes  on  you.  Do  you  be- 
lieve that  by  such  light  penances  you  can  satisfy  for  all 
the  temporal  punishments  you  owe  for  your  sins?  Or  do 
you  believe  that  now-a-days  God  is  not  so  strict  as 
formerly?  God  demands  now  as  much  temporal  punish- 
ment as  formerly  for  light-minded  swearing,  for  disrespect 


528    THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

to  parents,  etc.,  because  these  sins  are  now  just  as  great  as 
formerly.  Hence  you  shall  have  to  undergo  the  temporal 
punishments  your  sins  deserve.  You  can  satisfy  for  them 
by  performing  some  penance  of  your  own  accord. 

The  temporal  punishments  due  for  sins  must  be  atoned 
for  either  on  earth  on  in  purgatory.  Suppose  you  were  to 
die,  before  satisfying  for  all  of  them.  Where  would  you 
be  obliged  to  satisfy  for  them?  In  the  fire  of  purgatory 
until  they  would  all  be  atoned  for.  We  must  satisfy  for 
the  temporal  punishment  due  to  our  sins  either  during  life 
on  earth,  or  in  purgatory  after  our  death. 

Summary.  What  is  meant  by  due  satisfaction  in  the 
sacrament  of  penance?  The  performance  of  the  penance 
imposed  by  the  confessor.  Why  does  the  confessor  impose 
a  penance?  The  confessor  imposes  a  penance,  first,  to 
satisfy  for  the  temporal  punishment  due  for  sin,  and  sec- 
ondly, to  amend  our  life.  Does  God  remit  all  punishment 
when  He  remits  sins?  He  always  remits  the  eternal  pun- 
ishment with  the  sins,  but  not  always  the  temporal.  Which 
is  the  temporal  punishment  of  sin?  It  is  the  punishment 
which  we  must  undergo  either  on  earth  or  in  purgatory  for 
our  sins. 

Application.  Dear  children,  none  of  you  would  like 
to  atone  for  your  sins  in  purgatory.  We  can  escape  pur- 
gatory, if  we  do  some  little  penances  of  our  own  for  our 
sins.  I  will  tell  you  how  you  can  do  it.  For  instance, 
a  boy  has  cursed ;  "  for  cursing,"  he  says,  "  I  will  say : 
Hallowed  be  Thy  name  " ;  or,  "  Glory  be  to  the  Father," 
etc.  A  girl  came  a  little  late  to  Mass  on  Sunday.  She 
performs  for  this  the  penance  of  going  once  or  twice  extra 
to  Mass  on  a  week  day.  A  boy  was  playing;  his  mother 
called  him  home ;  but  he  disobeyed  her.  A  good  penance 
for  him  would  be  not  to  go  out  into  the  street  for  one  day ; 
or  only  for  an  hour.  A  child  has  taken  little  things  at 
home;  a  good  penance  would  be  for  each  time  to  do  with- 
out sugar  in  his  coffee,  or  without  butter  on  his  bread. 


A  PRACTICAL  CONFESSION  529 

Another  ate  a  piece  of  meat  on  a  Friday ;  let  him  do 
without  fruit,  without  cake,  or  eat  what  he  does  not  like. 
Another  told  lies ;  let  him  say  an  Our  Father,  or  a  Hail 
Mary  for  each  lie.  Another  talked  in  church ;  let  him  say  an 
Our  Father  kneeling.  A  child  has  a  sore,  has  toothache, 
etc.,  let  him  say :  "  I  will  bear  it  all  as  a  penance  for  my 
sins,  especially  for.  .  .  ."  Dear  children,  punish  your- 
selves, that  God  may  not  need  to  punish  you.  Who  will 
impose  penances  in  himself  for  his  sins?  I  will  ask  you 
another  time,  who  did  so. 

17.  A  practical  Confession. 

Preparation.  We  shall  soon  get  through  the  instruc- 
tions on  the  sacrament  of  penance.  I  have  but  one  point 
more  to  explain.  The  day  is  near  when  you  will  all  be 
glad;  that  day  you  have  longed  for.  Which  day  is  that? 
The  day  on  which  you  will  be  admitted  to  make  your  first 
confession.  The  day  of  your  first  confession  is  for  you 
a  day  of  great  joy. 

After  baptism  your  soul  was  wonderfully  beautiful. 
You  were  perfectly  free  from  sin  and  adorned  with  the 
white  garment  of  sanctifying  grace.  You  were  children 
of  God,  and  were  allowed  to  call  Him  Father.  Many, 
perhaps  all  of  you  have  always  remained  until  now  chil- 
dren of  God.  Perhaps  not  one  of  you  has  committed  a 
mortal  sin,  and  your  soul  is  still  adorned  with  the  garment 
of  sanctifying  grace,  which  you  received  in  baptism.  May 
God  be  a  thousand  times  thanked  for  this.  How  happy 
you  are  now  for  this. 

But  all  of  you  have  committed  venial  sins.  Some  of 
you  have  perhaps  committed  a  great  many  of  them,  such 
as,  praying  without  attention,  pronouncing  with  levity  the 
holy  name  of  God,  being  irreverent  in  church,  disobedient 
to  your  parents,  telling  lies,  etc.  Each  of  your  venial  sins 
made  a  little  stain  on  your  soul's  white  garment  of  sancti- 


530   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

fying  grace,  and  it  is  no  longer  quite  as  beautiful  as  when 
you  received  it  in  baptism.  On  account  of  these  stains  you 
must  feel  ashamed  before  God  and  His  angels  and  saints. 
And  so  long  as  even  only  one  stain  remains,  you  are  not 
fit  to  enter  heaven. 

Perhaps  some  one  among  you  has  even  committed  a 
mortal  sin,  perhaps  through  immodesty.  O  poor  child, 
how  unhappy  you  have  made  yourself  by  that  sin.  You 
have  fearfully  stained  and  torn  the  garment  of  your  soul. 
You  are  no  longer  a  child  of  God.  If  you  were  to  die 
thus,  God  would  have  to  cast  you  into  hell. 

But,  O  joy,  O  happiness,  all  that  can  still  be  repaired. 
He  who  is  no  longer  a  child  of  God,  can  again  become  one, 
and  then  his  heart  will  again  be  pure  from  sin,  and  he  will 
receive  a  brand  new  garment  of  sanctifying  grace.  And 
those  who  have  only  little  stains  in  their  soul,  can  remove 
them  all,  and  their  garment  of  grace  will  again  be  as  white 
as  fresh  fallen  snow,  and  as  bright  as  the  sun.  Who  can 
tell  how  this  will  happen?  By  making  a  good  confession. 
So  you  see  how  everything  depends  on  how  you  make  your 
confession. 

I. 

Object.  I  will  now  tell  you  how  a  good  boy  made  his 
confession.     From  this  you  will  learn  how  to  make  yours. 

i.  Relation.  The  boy's  name  was  Charles.  He  wished 
to  make  a  very  good  confession,  and  yet  he  was  somewhat 
afraid  lest  he  should  not  do  everything  properly.  There- 
fore he  resolved :  '  I  will  pray  fervently  to  God  to  help 
me."  On  the  evening  previous  to  his  confession  he  took 
his  prayer  book  (or  catechism)  and  went  into  the  church. 
The  altar  lamp  before  the  tabernacle  was  shining  in  so 
friendly  a  way,  like  the  evening  star.  Have  you  ever 
noticed  how  its  little  flame  trembles  and  flares?  It  is  like 
a  little  tongue  silently,  quietly  saying  to  us :  "  Come  here, 
my  child ;  come  here,  for  here  dwells  our  loving,   sweet 


A  PRACTICAL  CONFESSION  531 

Jesus,  who  is  so  fond  of  children."  Charles  knelt  down 
right  in  front  of  the  altar.  He  began  to  pray :  "  O  my 
dearest  Jesus,  to-morrow  I  am  to  make  my  first  confession. 
Oh,  deign  to  help  me  to  do  it  right.  O  Mary,  ever  Virgin, 
Mother  of  Jesus  and  my  Mother  also,  pray  for  me.  My 
holy  guardian  angel,  assist  me."  Then  he  invoked  the 
Holy  Ghost :  "  Come,  Holy  Ghost,"  etc.  Charles  now 
opened  his  prayer  book  (catechism),  and  said  the  prayer 
before  the  examination  of  conscience. 

After  this  he  began  to  examine  his  conscience  carefully. 
He  reflected  on  all  his  life  as  far  back  as  he  could  remem- 
ber, and  asked  himself :  "  What  sins  have  I  committed 
against  the  first  commandment  ?  "  After  finding  out  all  he 
could  remember,  he  examined  what  sins  he  had  committed 
against  the  second  commandment.  Thus  he  went  through 
the  commandments  of  God,  the  commandments  of  the 
Church,  and  the  seven  capital  sins.  He  found  out  sins  al- 
most against  every  commandment,  and  also  the  number  of 
times  he  had  committed  them.  He  thought  over  them  and 
their  number  so  carefully  that  he  should  remember  them 
well.  He  was  not  in  a  hurry,  but  took  his  time.  And 
why? 

After  this  Charles  excited  contrition  in  his  heart  for  his 
sins.  He  thought  of  God  the  Father,  God  the  Son  and 
God  the  Holy  Ghost,  or  God  the  Chief  Good,  whom  he  had 
offended  by  his  sins,  and  asked  forgiveness  of  God  the 
Father,  God  the  Son  and  God  the  Holy  Ghost.  He  thought 
also  of  purgatory,  of  the  pains  of  hell  which  he,  perhaps, 
had  deserved  on  account  of  his  sins.  And  again  besought 
God  for  forgiveness.  He  was  sorry  from  his  heart  for  his 
sins,  and  resolved  never  to  sin  again.  He  resolved  espe- 
cially to  combat  his  favorite  fault,  anger.  He  also  re- 
solved never  again  to  associate  with  the  bad  companions, 
who  had  already  led  him  into  sin  a  few  times.  Then  he 
slowly  recited  from  his  heart  the  act  of  contrition :  "  O 
my  God,  I  am  heartily  sorry,"  etc. 


532        THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

The  next  day  was  the  day  appointed  for  his  confession. 
In  the  morning  Charles  went  to  Mass  and  prayed  very  de- 
voutly. When  the  time  for  the  children's  confession  came, 
he  was  already  in  church  repeating  his  preparation  of  the 
previous  evening.  (A  few  questions  on  this.)  He  con- 
tinued doing  so,  and  making  acts  of  contrition  kneeling 
around  the  confessional,  silently  waiting  for  his  turn  to 
make  his  confession,  and  reading  from  his  prayer  book  the 
prayer  before  confession. 

2.  When  his  turn  came,  Charles  entered  the  confessional 
and  knelt  down.  The  confessor  gave  him  his  blessing,  and 
Charles  made  the  sign  of  the  cross,  saying:  "Bless  me, 
Father,  for  I  have  sinned."  Then  he  recited  the  Confiteor 
until  "  through  my  fault."  After  this  he  sincerely  confessed 
his  sins  and  the  number  of  each  as  far  as  he  could  remem- 
ber, in  the  same  order  as  he  had  made  the  examination  of 
his  conscience ;  then  he  said :  I  am  heartily  sorry  for  all 
these  sins  and  for  all  that  I  do  not  remember ;  I  ask  pardon 
of  God  for  them,  and  penance  of  you,  Father,  and  abso- 
lution if  you  judge  me  worthy.  Then  he  finished  the  Con- 
fiteor. After  this  the  confessor  asked  Charles  a  few  ques- 
tions, and  Charles  sincerely  answered  them.  The  priest 
then  spoke  a  few  words  of  admonition  to  Charles  and  gave 
him  a  penance.  Charles  listened  very  attentively  to  what 
the  priest  said  to  him,  and  humbly  received  his  penance. 
Then  whilst  the  priest  was  giving  him  absolution,  Charles 
renewed  the  act  of  contrition,  and  made  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  whilst  the  priest  was  saying :  "  I  absolve  thee  from 
thy  sins,  in  the  name  of  the  Father,"  etc.  Charles  then  left 
the  confessional. 

3.  After  Charles  had  returned  to  his  place,  he  knelt  down 
and  began  to  pray  thus  within  himself:  "  O  how  happy  I 
feel  now !  I  am  again  a  child  of  God.  O  my  good  God, 
I  thank  Thee  a  thousand  times  for  this."  Then  he  opened 
his  prayer  book  and  slowly  read  the  prayer  after  confes- 
sion.    Then  he  said  the  prayers  the  confessor  had  imposed 


A  PRACTICAL  CONFESSION  533 

on  him  for  his  penance,  and,  of  his  own  accord,  recited 
the  Litany  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  other  prayers.  More- 
over, he  made  this  resolution :  "  Henceforth  I  will  fight 
against  my  favorite  sin,  anger,  and  be  on  my  guard  against 
it."     He  then  went  home. 

II.    CONSIDERATION.      WHAT   WE    SHOULD   DO   ON   THE   EVE  OF 

CONFESSION. 

We  must  first  pray.  What  is  the  name  of  the  boy  I  have 
spoken  about  ?  Charles  wished  to  go  to  confession.  What 
did  he  feel  a  little  before  making  it?  He  wished  to  do  it 
well.  How  did  he  begin?  He  began  by  praying.  What 
must  we  know  before  confession?  But  we  have  usually 
forgotten  most  of  our  sins.  What  must  we  do  to  remem- 
ber them?  Examine  our  conscience.  Who  is  to  help  us 
in  doing  so?  What  should  we  do  to  obtain  the  assistance 
of  the  Holy  Ghost?  What  was  Charles  going  to  do  to 
obtain  it? 

We  should  go  into  the  church.  Therefore  Charles  went 
into  the  Church  the  evening  before.  What  did  he  take 
along?  The  altar  lamp  was  shining  in  so  friendly  a  manner 
before  the  tabernacle.  What  did  that  lamp's  trembling 
flame  invite  him  to  do?     Where  did  Charles  kneel? 

To  whom  should  we  pray.  How  did  Charles  begin  his 
prayer?  To  whom,  then,  did  he  pray  first?  To  Jesus. 
To  whom  did  he  pray  next?  To  Mary  and  his  guardian 
angel.  Whom  did  he  finally  invoke  in  a  special  manner? 
The  Holy  Ghost.  How  did  he  pray  to  Him?  You  may 
also  use  your  prayer  book  (or  catechism)  for  this.  (If 
the  catechism  in  use  contains  instructions  and  prayers  for 
confession,  tell  the  children  to  open  their  catechism  and  go 
through  said  prayers  with  them,  the  examination  of  con- 
science, etc.  Children  should  have  and  use  prayer-books 
in  church  from  the  time  they  can  read  a  little.  Where  this 
is  not  done,  children  will  hardly  use  a  prayer-book  later 
on,  and  that  is  why  so  many  grown  up  boys  and  girls  are 


534   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

seen  at  Mass,  holy  Communion  without  prayer  books,  star- 
ing distractedly  all  over  the  church,  and  making  very  care- 
less confessions.) 

4.  Examination  of  conscience.  What  did  Charles  do 
after  praying?  He  began  to  examine  his  conscience. 
How  should  we  examine  our  conscience?  With  what  com- 
mandment did  Charles  begin  to  examine  his  conscience? 
What  did  he  ask  himself  concerning  the  first  command- 
ment? "Have  I  omitted  my  morning  prayers?"  etc. 
After  each  question  which  he  answered  by  yes,  he  asked 
himself :  "  How  many  times  did  I  do  that  ?  "  And  he 
tried  earnestly  to  find  out  the  number  of  times  as  near  as 
he  could ;  if  he  could  not  find  out  the  exact  number,  he 
tried  to  find  out  about  how  many  times  it  was.  Then  con- 
cerning some  of  his  sins,  such  as  sins  against  the  sixth  and 
seventh  commandments,  he  examined  whether  there  had 
not  been  some  circumstance  which  would  change  a  venial 
sin  into  a  mortal  sin.  Charles  examined  his  conscience 
not  for  the  past  week  or  two,  but  as  it  was  his  first  confes- 
sion, he  examined  it  concerning  the  sins  of  his  whole  life 
as  far  as  he  could  remember.  And  as  this  will  be  your 
first  confession,  you  must  do  the  same.  You  must  examine 
your  whole  life  as  far  as  you  can  remember,  and  try  to 
find  out  all  the  sins  you  have  ever  committed,  their  number, 
and  those  that  special  circumstances  caused  sins  venial  in 
themselves  to  become  mortal  sins. 

5.  Contrition.  It  must  be  sincere.  Contrition  is  the 
most  necessary  part  of  the  sacrament  of  penance.  What 
had  Charles  to  feel  in  his  heart,  in  order  that  God  should 
forgive  him?  Of  whom  did  he  think  in  order  to  excite 
himself  to  contrition?  Of  God  the  Father,  God  the  Son, 
God  the  Holy  Ghost ;  of  God,  the  highest  and  Chief  Good. 
And  what  did  he  pray  for?  For  forgiveness.  Of  what 
else  did  he  think?  Of  purgatory  and  hell.  What  did  he 
again  do?  And  what  did  he  resolve  to  do?  What  prayer 
did  he  then  say?     The  act  of  contrition,  as  given  in  the 


A  PRACTICAL  CONFESSION  535 

catechism.  But  that  was  not  enough.  What  other  prayer 
did  he  say  ?  The  act  of  contrition  in  his  prayer  book  after 
the  examination  of  conscience.  Where  did  Charles  then 
go?     (Repeat.) 

6.  You  may  examine  your  conscience  also  at  home.  If 
you  have  a  room  at  home  in  which  you  can  be  alone  for 
some  time,  you  may  examine  your  conscience  at  home  also. 

7.  W'hat  you  should  do  before  confession  on  the  day  of 
your  confession.  A  good  confession  is  a  great  grace  for 
which  we  should  earnestly  pray  God.  Where  did  Charles 
go  in  the  morning  for  that  purpose?  He  put  on  his  best 
clothes  to  go  to  confession,  and  took  his  prayer  book  along. 
He  did  not  tarry  in  the  street  on  his  way.  He  was  already 
in  church  half  an  hour  before  the  time.  To  whom  did  he 
pray  first?  And  then  what  did  he  do?  He  repeated  to 
himself  the  sins,  their  number  and  circumstances  which 
he  was  to  confess,  that  he  might  not  omit  anything  in  con- 
fession. What  did  he  do  next?  He  made  a  sincere  act  of 
contrition  and  the  good  resolution.  This  should  never  be 
forgotten  before  going  to  confession.  Then  he  read  slowly 
in  his  prayer  book  the  prayers  before  confession.  You 
must  all  do  the  same.  If  after  this  you  have  to  wait  some 
time  before  your  turn  comes  to  enter  the  confessional,  you 
must  not  remain  idle,  looking  around,  talking  and  laugh- 
ing ;  you  should  then  review  in  your  mind  what  you  have 
to  confess,  and  say  some  prayers,  that  you  may  make  a 
good  confession. 

2.  What  takes  place  in  the  confessional — The 
priest's  blessing.  What  did  Charles  do  when  his  turn  came 
to  make  his  confession?  He  entered  the  confessional,  and 
knelt  down.  His  guardian  angel  accompanied  him  with 
joy.  Then  he  said  to  the  priest :  Bless  me,  Father,  for  I 
have  sinned.  When  the  priest  was  blessing  him,  Charles 
made  the  sign  of  the  cross  very  devoutly.  Then  he  re- 
cited the  Confiteor  until,  "  through  my  fault."  To  whom 
did  Charles  confess  his  sins?     Whose  place  does  the  con- 


536        THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

fessor  take  in  the  confessional?  To  whom  do  we  really 
tell  our  sins  in  confession?  God  sees  our  heart,  and  knows 
well  whether  we  are  going  to  tell  our  sins  sincerely. 
Charles  thought  of  this  when  he  was  saying  the  Confiteor. 

The  Confession.  After  saying  the  first  part  of  the  Con- 
fiteor, Charles  told  the  priest  that  this  was  his  first  confes- 
sion. He  then  began  by  confessing  the  sins  he  had 
committed  against  the  first  commandment,  and  the  number 
of  each.  He  continued  to  tell  his  sins  and  their  number  in 
the  order  of  the  commandments,  etc. 

In  what  direction  should  you  tell  your  sins?  In  the 
direction  of  the  little  grate,  where  the  priest  has  his  ear 
that  he  may  easily  hear  what  you  are  confessing.  (As  to 
those  children  who  are  very  small,  and  the  grate  is  too 
high  for  them,  they  should  make  their  confession  standing, 
otherwise  they  cannot  hear  what  the  priest  may  ask  or  tell 
them,  and  the  priest  cannot  either  understand  them.)  In 
telling  your  sins  speak  slowly,  distinctly  and  softly  so  that 
the  priest  may  understand  you,  and  that  those  who  are  out- 
side may  not  hear  what  you  are  confessing.  Those  out- 
side who  happen  to  overhear  what  the  priest  or  the  penitent 
says  in  the  confessional,  must  never  speak  about  it  to  any 
one.  If  you  happen  to  forget  some  sin  in  the  course  of 
your  confession,  go  on  and  tell  the  rest  without  worrying 
over  it;  if  you  remember  it  when  you  are  through  with 
the  other  sins,  tell  it  at  the  end.  What  did  Charles  say  at 
the  end  of  his  confession?  You  must  say  the  same,  but 
with  attention  and  slowly. 

How  often  did  Charles  make  an  act  of  contrition  for  his 
confession?  Three  times.  When?  Twice  before  it  and 
once  at  the  end  of  his  confession.  If  you  happened  to  for- 
get making  an  act  of  contrition  before  your  confession, 
you  must  at  least  make  it  before  the  priest  gives  you  abso- 
lution. Contrition  is  more  important  than  anything  else  in 
confessing  your  sins.  To  omit  making  an  act  of  contri- 
tion  before   absolution,    renders   the   confession    null    and 


A  PRACTICAL  CONFESSION  537 

void  (worthless).  How  do  you  say  that  little  act  of  con- 
trition at  the  end  of  confession  before  the  priest  questions 
you  and  gives  you  a  penance  and  absolution ?  "I  am 
heartily  sorry  for  all  these  sins,"  etc.  (see  I.  2).  By 
these  words  you  express  your  contrition  for  all  your  sins, 
not  only  for  those  you  have  actually  confessed,  but  also  for 
all  those  which  you  have  forgotten. 

The  Confessor's  Questions  and  the  Penitent's  Answers. 
After  Charles  had  finished  the  prayer  at  the  end  of  his 
confession,  the  confessor  asked  him  some  questions.  The 
confessor  will  perhaps  ask  you  also  some  questions.  If 
you  do  not  understand  what  the  priest  asks  you,  say  to  the 
priest :  '  Please,  Father,  I  do  not  understand  what  you 
ask  me."  The  confessor  will  ask  you  again.  How  did 
Charles  answer  the  confessor's  questions?  Sincerely.  Do 
not,  before  answering,  try  to  find  out  some  excuse  for  your 
sins.  God  knows  them ;  you  cannot  deceive  Him.  You 
must  tell  the  truth  in  your  answers ;  that  is,  you  must  be 
sincere,  and  tell  your  sins  just  as  they  are.  Therefore 
answer  the  priest  sincerely  and  humbly. 

The  Admonition.  The  confessor  also  admonished 
Charles.  What  did  Charles  do,  when  the  confessor  was 
admonishing  him?  He  listened  to  him  very  attentively. 
The  confessor  will  also  give  you  a  short  admonition.  He 
may  perhaps  tell  you  not  to  go  any  more  with  certain  com- 
panions, or  to  certain  places  ;  or  he  will  tell  you  to  do  certain 
things.  You  must  after  your  confession  do  exactly  what 
he  has  said  to  you  in  his  admonition.  Like  Charles,  you 
must  listen  very  attentively  to  all  that  he  says,  so  that  you 
may  well  remember  it,  and  do  it  faithfully. 

The  penance.  The  confessor  also  told  Charles  a  certain 
thing  he  should  remember  and  do  after  his  confession. 
What  was  that?  The  penance.  The  confessor  will  also 
give  you  a  penance.  You  must,  therefore,  pay  great  atten- 
tion, that  you  may  understand  it,  and  remember  and  do  it 
after  your  confession.     What  must  you  pay  attention  to  in 


538   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

confession?  To  what  the  confessor  asks,  and  to  what  he 
tells  us.     How  must  you  answer  his  questions? 

You  must  understand  the  penance  given  you.  When  you 
have  understood  the  penance,  answer :  "  Yes,  Father  "  ;  or 
say :  "  Thank  you,  Father."  But  if  you  did  not  under- 
stand the  penance,  do  not  say :  "  Yes,  Father  "  ;  but  say : 
"  Please,  Father,  I  did  not  understand  the  penance."  Be 
sure  not  to  go  out  of  the  confessional  till  you  understand 
the  penance.  Sometimes  the  confessor  may  ask  you  before 
he  gives  you  the  penance:  "Have  you  anything  else  (or 
any  more  sins)  to  confess?  "  If  you  do  not  remember  any- 
thing else,  say :  "  No,  Father."  But  if  you  remember 
some  other  sin  or  sins,  tell  it  (them)  right  away. 

The  Absolution.  It  is  not  yet  all  over.  There  remains 
the  principal  thing  to  be  done.  The  penitent  is  not  yet 
rid  of  his  sins.  How  are  our  sins  taken  away  or  forgiven  ? 
How  did  the  priest  give  absolution  to  Charles?  What  did 
Charles  do  when  receiving  it?     You  must  do  the  same. 

The  Effects  of  the  Absolution.  Have  you  ever  reflected 
on  what  happens  at  that  solemn  moment  when  the  priest 
gives  absolution  to  a  penitent?  The  Holy  Ghost  comes 
into  the  penitent's  soul,  washes  away  all  his  sins,  and  his 
soul  becomes  what  it  would  have  been,  had  he  committed 
no  sin.  His  soul  puts  on  again  the  garment  of  sanctifying 
grace,  and  becomes  pleasing  to  God.  He  becomes  again  a 
child  of  God,  and  God  loves  him  again,  as  before;  and  if 
he  dies  in  that  state,  God  will  admit  him  into  heaven. 
Such  is  the  great  benefit  of  the  priest's  absolution.  No 
angel  can  do  what  the  priest  does  by  giving  absolution  to 
a  penitent  sinner. 

Leaving  the  Confessional.  Now  the  confession  is  all 
over,  and  the  penitent  leaves  the  confessional.  (Repeat  in 
order  what  takes  place  in  the  confessional.) 

3.  A  hearty  thanksgiving.  Where  did  Charles  kneel, 
when  he  came  out  of  the  confessional?  What  did  he  then 
do?    He  first  prayed  in  silence  in  his  own  words.     What 


A  PRACTICAL  CONFESSION  539 

did  he  say  in  his  heart?  What  does  a  beggar  say  when  he 
receives  alms?  What  do  you  say  when  your  father  gives 
you  something  good?  In  confession  God  bestows  on  you 
an  immense  benefit ;  He  forgives  your  sins,  and  again 
makes  your  soul  pure  and  beautiful.  What  should  you  say 
to  God  after  your  confession?  Why  did  Charles  then  say: 
"  O  my  good  God,  I  thank  Thee  a  thousand  times  for 
this "  ?  This  thanksgiving  of  Charles  was  rather  short. 
Therefore  he  opened  his  prayer  book  and  read  therein 
slowly  and  attentively  the  prayers  after  confession.  You 
should  do  the  same. 

Performing  the  Penance.  What  prayer  did  Charles  say 
after  his  thanksgiving?  He  performed  his  penance  exactly 
as  the  confes:or  had  imposed  it  on  him.  You  should  do 
the  same.  You  should,  whenever  it  is  possible,  perform 
your  penance  immediately  after  thanking  God.  In  what 
case  you  need  not  perform  the  penance  immediately  after 
thanking  God  for  forgiving  you  your  sins?  But  suppose 
when  you  come  to  your  place  after  leaving  the  confessional, 
you  remark  that  you  do  not  know  any  more  what  penance 
the  priest  gave  you.  What  must  you  then  do?  Return  to 
the  confessional  and  tell  the  priest  you  forgot  what  penance 
he  gave  you.  But  if  the  priest  has  already  left  the  con- 
fessional, you  must  say  in  your  next  confession :  "  I  did 
not  say  my  penance  the  last  time,  because  I  forgot  what  it 
was." 

Voluntary  penance.  When  Charles  had  performed  the 
penance  the  confessor  had  given  him,  he  thought  it  was 
too  little.  What  other  penance  did  he  perform  of  his  own 
accord  for  his  sins?  What  special  resolution  did  he  also 
make?  You  should  likewise  impose  on  yourself  some  little 
penance  of  your  own  choice  for  your  sins?  What  volun- 
tary penance  could  you  do?     Why  should  you  do  that? 

Going  home.  What  did  Charles  do,  when  he  had  finished 
his  voluntary  penance?  You  also  should  go  directly  home 
after  finishing  your  penance.     Do  not  wait  for  the  other 


540   THE  SACRAMENT  OF  PENANCE 

children,  but  go  home  in  silence.  People  should  be  aware 
that  you  have  been  to  confession,  and  you  should  reflect 
that  God  now  looks  upon  you  with  complacency. 

Do  not  speak  about  your  confession.  It  would  be  wrong 
to  tell  one  another  what  the  confessor  said  to  you  in  con- 
fession. 

The  amendment  of  life.  The  day  after  your  confession 
you  should  all  go  to  Mass,  in  order  to  thank  God  for  the 
great  grace  He  bestowed  upon  you.  Remember  that  not 
everything  is  over,  when  you  have  made  your  confession. 
On  the  contrary,  you  must  now  earnestly  begin  a  new  life. 
You  should  start  on  the  very  day  of  your  confession.  You 
should  so  behave  at  home  that  your  brothers  should  never 
hear  you  say  a  wrong  word  again.  You  should  always 
think :  "  Now  I  will  try  to  be  a  better  child."  You  should 
especially  try  to  overcome  your  favorite  (predominant) 
fault.  What  would  you  say  of  a  child  that  promised  in 
confession  to  do  better,  and  yet  commits  again  all  his 
former  faults  immediately  after  confession?  What  kind  of 
resolution  did  such  a  child  make?  He  did  not  mean  it! 
He  made  it  with  his  lips,  but  not  from  his  heart.  How  can 
you  know  when  a  child  meant  what  he  promised?  Which 
is  the  surest  sign  of  a  good  confession?  If  we  amend  our 
life  after  confession.  "  Go  and  sin  no  more."  Repeat 
now  in  proper  order  what  you  have  to  do  after  confession. 

Summary.  What  is  the  most  necessary  thing  to  obtain 
forgiveness  of  our  sins?  Contrition.  When  should  we 
excite  in  us  contrition  for  our  sins  when  we  go  to  confes- 
sion? We  should  do  so  before  confession,  or  at  least  be- 
fore receiving  absolution.  How  should  you  begin  your 
confession?  How  should  you  conclude  it?  What  should 
you  then  do?  Listen  to  and  sincerely  answer  the  ques- 
tions of  the  confessor.  What  should  you  do  next?  Pay 
great  attention  to  the  confessor's  admonition  and  to  the 
penance  he  gives.  When  should  you  perform  the  penance  ? 
Immediately    after    our    thanksgiving,    if    it    is    possible. 


EXTREME  UNCTION  541 

Which  is  the  surest  sign  of  a  good  confession?     If   we 
really  amend  our  life  after  confession. 

Application.  The  catechist  should  make  a  confession, 
so  that  the  children  may  learn  practically  how  to  tell  their 
sins,  with  their  number  and  necessary  circumstances.  Ap- 
point one  of  the  most  talented  to  repeat  the  confession  you 
have  made ;  but  be  careful  to  direct  him  not  to  tell  his  own 
sins. 

18.  Extreme  Unction. 

Preparation.  When  our  divine  Saviour  lived  on  earth, 
He  did  good  to  all  men.  Whom  did  he  love  in  a  special 
manner?  Children,  the  poor  and  the  sick.  How  did  He 
show  His  love  for  the  sick  ?  What  did  people  say  of  Him 
on  this  account  ?  "  He  has  done  all  things  well ;  He  gives 
sight  to  the  blind,"  etc.  The  blind,  the  deaf,  etc.,  were 
sick  in  their  body.  How  can  we  get  sick  in  our  soul?  By 
committing  sin.  How  can  sin  be  removed  from  the  soul? 
Then  the  soul  recovers  health.  Our  Saviour  cured  also 
the  souls  of  men.  Can  you  name  some  whose  souls  He 
cured?  How  did  He  do  so?  How  well  they  were  after- 
wards, and  how  joyful  and  happy  they  felt!  Our  Saviour 
when  on  earth  cured  many  others  that  were  sick  in  soul 
and  in  body.  Jesus  cares  even  now  for  the  sick.  He  in- 
stituted a  special  sacrament  for  those  who  are  very  sick, 
to  benefit  them  in  both  body  and  soul.  It  is  the  sacrament 
of  extreme  unction. 

Object.  I  will  now  tell  you  how  the  sacrament  of  ex- 
treme unction  benefits  in  both  body  and  soul  those  who  are 
very  sick. 

Relation.  There  was  once  a  boy  thirteen  years  old 
who  was  very  sick.  The  physician  was  sent  for ;  but  all 
his  medicines  did  him  no  good.  He  grew  worse.  The  sick 
boy  suffered  great  pains.  He  sometimes  cried  out :  "  I 
suffer  so  much ;  I  believe  I  am  going  to  die."  But  when 
saying  this,  he  began  to  think  of  his  sins.     This  thought 


542  EXTREME  UNCTION 

made  him  very  much  afraid,  for  after  death  comes  judg- 
ment ;  and  he  thought :  "  What  will  then  happen  to  me  ?  " 
The  devil  also  tormented  him.  He  tried  to  lead  the  sick 
boy  into  sin,  that  he  might  prevent  him  from  going  to 
heaven.  He  tried  to  make  him  murmur  and  complain 
against  God,  for  letting  him  get  sick.  He  inspired  him  with 
wicked  thoughts ;  he  said  to  him :  "  You  shall  come  to  hell 
with  me,  because  God  will  not  forgive  you." 

The  sick  boy  continued  to  complain,  and  cried  out: 
"  Oh,  how  afraid  I  am  and  worried  in  soul !  O  dear  Lord, 
do  not  abandon  me ;  forgive  me."  His  mother  said  to  him : 
"  We  are  going  to  send  for  the  priest,  and  he  will  prepare 
you  for  death."  The  boy  consented.  The  priest  soon 
came  with  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  preceded  by  altar  boys 
carrying  lighted  candles.  The  sick  boy  then  made  his  con- 
fession, and  was  absolved  from  his  sins.  Then  he  received 
our  Lord  in  holy  Communion.  Then  the  priest  took  a 
small  silver  vase  containing  blessed  oil  in  his  left  hand,  and 
dipped  the  thumb  of  his  right  hand  into  the  oil  and  made 
the  sign  of  the  cross  with  it  first  on  the  boy's  closed  eyes, 
then  on  his  ears,  his  nostrils,  his  lips,  his  hands  and  feet, 
praying,  at  the  same  time,  God  to  forgive  him  the  sins  he 
had  committed  in  his  life  with  his  eyes,  his  ears,  his  smell, 
his  taste,  his  tongue,  his  hands  and  his  feet.  Soon  after 
the  priest  left  the  house.  And  now,  how  wonderful!  the 
sick  boy  became  quiet  and  patient ;  he  no  longer  complained. 
But  he  said :  "  Oh,  how  glad  I  feel  now !  I  feel  so  light 
and  so  well  in  my  heart.  I  am  not  afraid  now  to  die.  If 
it  is  God's  will,  I  am  content  to  suffer  longer,  or  to  die." 
But  this  was  not  all.  His  bodily  pains  began  to  diminish. 
Each  day  the  sick  boy's  health  improved,  and  in  a  short 
time  he  was  perfectly  well  again.  He  lived  many  years 
since  then ;  and  when  he  reached  the  age  of  seventy-two 
years,  he  got  sick  again,  and  shortly  after  again  receiving 
extreme  unction,  he  died  calmly.  Such  was  God's  holy 
will. 


EXTREME  UNCTION  543 

Consideration  —  Sickness.  The  boy  of  whom  I  have 
been  speaking,  was  very  sick.  Who  is  called  to  help  or 
cure  the  sick?  The  doctor  was  sent  for.  What  did  he 
prescribe?     Did  the  medicines  help?     He  grew  worse. 

Bodily  pains.  What  pains  did  the  sick  boy  suffer  in  his 
body?  He  could  not  sleep,  breathed  with  difficulty,  had  a 
high  fever,  etc.  What  complaints  did  he  make?  The  sick 
usually  make  the  same  complaints.  What  does  sickness 
cause  the  body?     Pains. 

Worry  of  the  soul.  The  sick  boy  thought  he  would  die. 
What  thoughts  did  the  fear  of  death  bring  to  his  mind? 
What  does  the  thought  of  death  make  the  sick  feel? 
Worry.  What  happens  when  a  person  dies?  Where 
would  his  soul  go  if  he  is  in  the  state  of  sin?  He  thinks 
of  that.  And  what  does  his  thought  bring  to  his  mind? 
Dear  children,  how  painful  is  death  to  those  who  have  com- 
mitted mortal  sin !  They  are  very  much  afraid.  They 
dread  the  judgment  of  God.  They  do  not  know  what  will 
happen  to  them.  They  fear  they  will  be  condemned  to  the 
endless  torments  of  hell. 

The  temptations  of  the  devil.  What  else  torments  the 
sick  boy's  soul?  The  devil  will  not  let  sick  people  suffer 
in  patience,  or  think  on  God  or  love  God.  He  tries  to  bring 
them  to  hell  with  him.  He  wishes  to  keep  them  out  of 
heaven,  because  he  himself  cannot  enter  it.  When  a  per- 
son is  very  sick  and  seems  likely  to  die,  the  devil  thinks : 
"  Now  is  my  chance.  If  that  person  dies  with  a  mortal 
sin  on  his  conscience,  he  belongs  to  me,  and  I  will  take  him 
to  hell  with  me."  To  what  does  the  devil  wish  to  tempt 
the  sick?  He  tempts  them  to  impatience,  so  that  they  may 
murmur  against  God,  saying :  "  Why  did  God  let  me  get 
sick?"  The  devil  also  tries  to  make  the  sick  angry,  so  as 
to  scold  and  curse  others.  The  devil  tries  also  to  make 
them  commit  other  sins,  to  bring  bad  thoughts  to  their 
mind.  He  tells  the  sick  person :  "  God  will  not  forgive 
you  your  sins ;  you  shall  surely  go  to  hell."     In  this  way 


544  EXTREME  UNCTION 

the  devil  acted  towards  that  sick  boy.  He  tried  to  make 
him  commit  sin ;  to  make  him  murmur  against  God ;  to 
make  him  believe :  "  God  will  not  forgive  me  my  sins." 
What  did  the  sick  boy  then  feel  in  his  soul?  A  great  fear 
and  worry.  How  did  he  complain  ?  "  O  how  I  feel  wor- 
ried in  my  mind!  O  dear  Lord,  help  me,  and  do  not 
abandon  me." 

The  last  sacraments.  What  did  his  mother  ask  him? 
He  was  glad  to  have  the  priest  called.  What  did  the  priest 
bring  with  him?  How  could  people  know  that  the  priest 
was  bringing  our  Lord !  What  was  the  first  thing  the  sick 
boy  had  to  do?  Confess  his  sins.  What  effect  did  this 
have  on  his  soul?  What  did  the  Holy  Ghost  bring  to  his 
soul  in  the  sacrament  of  penance?  What  did  the  sick  boy 
receive  next?  Our  divine  Saviour  in  holy  Communion. 
He  who  has  Jesus  in  his  soul,  possesses  all  graces.  From 
whom  do  all  graces  come? 

Extreme  unction.  What  did  the  priest  take  in  his  left 
hand?  The  oil  had  been  blessed  by  the  bishop.  It  is  then 
a  holy  oil.  What  did  the  priest  then  do  with  the  thumb  of 
his  right  hand?  What  did  he  anoint  with  the  oil?  How 
did  he  anoint  the  sick  boy's  eyes,  etc.  ?  And  what  prayer  did 
the  priest  say  at  each  anointing?  He  besought  God  to  re- 
mit to  the  sick  boy  all  the  sins  he  had  committed  by  the 
sense  he  was  anointing.     (Repeat  all.) 

What  sins  are  committed  with  the  eyes?  With  the  ears? 
With  the  mouth?  etc.  The  priest  anointed  the  sick  boy's 
five  senses;  sight,  hearing,  smell,  taste  (and  speech),  feel- 
ing (tactus).  With  what  did  he  anoint  each  sense?  And 
when  the  priest  was  anointing  his  eyes,  what  happened  in 
his  soul?  The  Holy  Ghost  came  into  his  soul  with  His 
grace,  and  remitted  the  sins  he  had  committed  by  his  sight. 
(Same  question  and  answer  for  each  of  the  other  senses.) 
Whence  does  grace  flow  into  our  soul?  From  the  cross  in 
seven  streamlets,  which  are  the  seven  sacraments.  The 
sick  boy  received  one  of  the  seven  sacraments;  it  is  called 


EXTREME  UNCTION  545 

extreme  unction,  or  the  last  anointing.  The  first  anointing 
with  holy  oil  takes  place  in  baptism ;  the  second  in  con- 
firmation. (Then  in  the  sacrament  of  Order.)  And  the 
last  in  the  sacrament  instituted  for  those  who  are  very 
sick  and  in  danger  of  dying. 

The  grace  of  God  for  the  benefit  of  the  soul.  After  re- 
ceiving extreme  unction,  the  sick  boy  becomes  quiet  at  once. 
His  soul  is  now  better.  What  does  he  say?  "Oh,  how  I 
feel  better !  I  have  nothing  more  to  fear,  nothing  more  to 
worry  about."  What  did  he  receive  from  the  sacrament 
of  extreme  unction?  The  grace  he  received  in  extreme 
unction  has  cured  his  soul.  The  sacrament  of  extreme 
unction  benefited  the  sick  boy's  soul.  The  same  happens 
to  all  the  sick  who  receive  extreme  unction  with  due  dis- 
positions. They  receive  in  it  the  grace  of  God  for  the 
benefit  of  their  soul. 

The  grace  of  God  for  the  benefit  of  the  body.  Besides 
benefiting  the  sick  person's  soul,  extreme  umction  often 
benefits  the  body  also.  That  sick  boy  after  receiving  it, 
did  not  feel  so  much  the  pains  of  his  body.  How  did  he 
get  along  every  day?  And  what  did  he  at  last  get?  Well. 
When  did  he  begin  to  grow  better?  Hence  extreme  unc- 
tion benefited  his  body  also.  What  do  the  sick  receive  for 
their  body  in  the  sacrament  of  extreme  unction?  The 
grace  of  God  for  the  benefit  of  their  body.  Which  was  the 
first  benefit  of  extreme  unction  for  the  sick  boy?  Which 
was  the  second?  What  then  do  the  sick  receive  in  the  sac- 
rament of  extreme  unction  ?  The  sick  receive  in  the  sacra- 
ment of  extreme  unction  the  grace  of  God  for  the  benefit 
of  their  soul  and  of  their  body. 

The  second  administration.  This  boy  lived  to  be  an  old 
man  till  what  age?  Then  he  got  sick  again.  And  then 
which  sacrament  did  he  again  receive?  He  became  again 
easy  and  quiet  in  his  soul.  He  did  not  either  complain 
about  his  bodily  pains.  But  what  happened  to  him  this 
time?     He  did  not  get  well,  for  so  God  willed  it,  for  He 


546  EXTREME  UNCTION 

wills  that  old  people  should  die.  Often  it  is  better  for 
the  young,  who  get  sick,  to  die  than  to  get  well.  They  go 
more  easily  to  heaven.  Extreme  unction  does  not  benefit 
the  bodies  of  these. 

Connection.  How  many  times  did  that  sick  boy  receive 
extreme  unction  ?  How  many  times  did  it  benefit  his  soul  ? 
Why  did  it  fail  the  second  time  to  benefit  his  body  ?  What 
effect  extreme  unction  does  not  always  produce?  When 
does  it  benefit  the  body  ?  What  did  extreme  unction  benefit 
each  time? 

Which  sacraments  did  that  sick  boy  receive  before  receiv- 
ing extreme  unction?  Which  did  he  receive  first?  What 
effect  did  the  sacrament  of  penance  produce  in  him? 
What  was  it  that  the  Blessed  Sacrament  brought  to  his 
soul?  Our  divine  Saviour  and  many  graces.  What  effect 
did  extreme  unction  produce  in  his  soul?  Many  more 
graces.  How  many  times  did  the  sick  receive  graces  for 
his  soul?  What  effect  did  it  produce  the  first  time  in  his 
body  ? 

Summary.  What  do  the  sick  receive  in  the  sacrament 
of  extreme  unction?  How  is  extreme  unction  adminis- 
tered? 

Application,  i.  You  see  now,  children,  how  good  our 
Saviour  is  towards  those  who  are  very  sick,  and  how  He 
cares  for  them.  For  them  He  instituted  a  special  sacra- 
ment. How  often  doctors  and  other  persons  have  said : 
"  There  is  no  hope  for  that  sick  person ;  he  cannot  get 
well."  But  after  receiving  extreme  unction  so  many  very 
sick  persons  have  got  well  again.  2.  Mostly  all  who  are 
very  sick,  are  afraid  to  die.  But  extreme  unction  enables 
them  to  think  quietly  on  death,  to  think  much  on  God,  to 
whom  they  are  soon  to  go.  3.  Suppose  you  now  see  a 
priest  going  to  prepare  a  sick  person  for  death.  What 
should  you  do?  Adore  inwardly  Jesus,  whom  the  priest 
carries,  and  pray  for  the  sick  person,  that  he  may  worthily 
receive  the  last  sacraments  and  be  prepared  to  die  well. 


HOLY  ORDER  547 

19.  Holy  Order. 

Preparation.  Last  time  I  spoke  about  a  very  sick  boy 
who  received  extreme  unction.  Who  administered  extreme 
unction  to  him?  Why  did  they  not  call  some  other  man 
to  do  this?  Because  only  a  priest  can  do  it.  The  priest 
receives  power  of  administering  the  sacraments  when  he 
is  ordained  priest  by  the  bishop. 

Object.  I  will  tell  you  to-day  what  powers  the  priest 
receives  when  he  is  ordained  priest. 

Relation.  He  who  wishes  to  become  a  priest,  must 
first  study  for  many  years.  After  this  the  bishop  ordains 
him  during  Mass.  The  bishop  lays  both  his  hands  on  the 
head  of  him  who  is  being  ordained  and  prays  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  may  come  down  upon  him.  Then  the  bishop  anoints 
his  hands  with  holy  oil,  to  consecrate  them  to  God.  After 
this  the  bishop  makes  him  touch  the  chalice  and  the  little 
gilt  plate  with  a  host  on  it.  Next  the  new  priest  says  Mass 
aloud  with  the  bishop.  At  the  consecration  he  pronounces 
with  the  bishop  these  words  of  Christ  over  the  bread: 
"  This  is  My  body  " ;  and  over  the  wine :  "  This  is  My 
blood."  After  holy  Communion  the  bishop  again  holds 
both  hands  over  the  new  priest's  head,  saying:  'Receive 
the  Holy  Ghost ;  whose  sins  you  shall  forgive,  they  are 
forgiven  them ;  whose  sins  you  shall  retain,  they  are  re- 
tained." Thus  is  a  priest  ordained,  and  receives  all  the 
powers  of  a  priest  and  all  the  graces  contained  in  the  sac- 
rament of  Holy  Order,  and  soon  says  his  first  Mass. 

Consideration  —  How  our  divine  Saviour  during  Mass 
ordained  the  apostles  priests  [and  bishops].  He  who 
wishes  to  become  a  priest,  has  to  prepare  himself  for  many 
years.  In  what  manner?  Then  he  is  ordained  priest. 
By  whom?  The  highest  and  holiest  priest  on  earth  was 
Jesus  Christ.  The  priest  has  to  offer  sacrifice.  Which 
was  the  sacrifice  Jesus  Christ  offered?  Where  is  this  sac- 
rifice offered  in  our  times?     Under  what  appearances  does 


548  HOLY  ORDER 

Jesus  sacrifice  Himself  during  Mass?  Through  whose 
hands?  When  did  Jesus  sacrifice  Himself  for  the  first 
time  to  His  heavenly  Father  under  the  appearances  of 
bread  and  wine?  That  was  the  first  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass 
on  earth.  But  Jesus  willed  that  the  apostles  also  should 
offer  the  holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  What  did  He  say  to 
the  apostles  for  this  purpose  ?  "  Do  ye  this  for  a  remem- 
brance of  Me."  By  these  words  He  ordained  them  priests. 
What  power  did  He  give  them,  when  He  said  this?  He 
said  this  during  the  first  Mass.  When  did  Jesus  ordain  the 
apostles  priests?  Jesus  ordained  the  apostles  priests  dur- 
ing the  first  holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass. 

Our  Saviour  did  not  need  many  words  to  ordain  priests. 
He  has  only  to  say  it,  and  they  are  real  priests.  Just  as 
He  did  in  creating  the  world.  He  said  only :  "  Let  it  be," 
and  the  earth  and  the  heavens  were  there.  When  Jesus 
said  to  the  apostles :  "  Do  this  for  a  remembrance  of  Me," 
they  became  priests. 

The  apostles  also  ordained  priests.  Our  Saviour  willed 
that  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  should  be  offered  until  the 
end  of  the  world.  But  the  apostles  could  not  do  this  so 
long,  for  they  did  not  live  so  long.  Therefore  Jesus  gave 
them  the  power  of  ordaining  other  priests  and  bishops. 
Therefore  the  apostles  prayed  over  other  men  and  imposed 
hands  upon  them,  in  order  to  ordain  them  bishops  and 
priests.  To  some  they  gave  all  their  power,  and  these  be- 
came bishops,  to  others  they  gave  only  a  part  of  their 
power,  but  the  most  beautiful  (that  of  sacrifice).  These 
became  priests.  These  bishops  ordained  others  as  bishops 
and  priests.     The  same  happens  also  now. 

How  the  bishop  ordains  priests.  When  did  our  Saviour 
ordain  the  apostles  priests  and  bishops?  What  sacrifice 
did  our  Saviour  offer  at  the  Last  Supper  ?  Where  does  the 
same  thing  now  take  place?  Therefore  bishops  ordain 
priests  during  Mass.  The  bishop  begins  the  Mass.  After 
some  time,  he  stops,  and  those  who  are  to  be  ordained 


HOLY  ORDER  549 

priests,  kneel  down.  The  bishop  then  begins  the  cere- 
monies of  the  ordination.  What  does  he  do  first?  The 
bishop  lays  both  hands  on  the  head  of  each  one  that  is  to 
be  ordained,  and  prays  over  him,  and  beseeches  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  come  down  upon  him.  And  whilst  the  bishop  lays 
his  hands  over  the  one  who  is  to  be  ordained,  the  bishop's 
power  is  communicated  to  him  and  the  Holy  Ghost  in- 
teriorly descends  upon  him  with  His  grace ;  and  in  this 
manner  he  is  made  a  priest  of  God.  Which  sacrament  does 
he  thus  receive? 

The  power  of  offering  sacrifice.  The  most  beautiful  of 
the  priest's  powers  is  that  of  offering  the  holy  Sacrifice 
of  the  Mass.  The  newly  ordained  priest  has  that  power. 
The  sacrament  of  Holy  Order  is  conferred  on  him  for  this 
purpose.  To  offer  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass,  the  priest 
needs  a  consecrated  gilt  chalice  and  paten  (small  gilt  plate) 
with  a  host  and  wine.  After  anointing  and  consecrating 
the  hands  of  the  new  priest  with  holy  oil,  the  bishop  makes 
him  touch  the  chalice,  paten  and  host  with  his  hands,  to 
impart  to  him  the  power  of  offering  the  holy  Sacrifice  of 
the  Mass.  After  this  the  bishop  continues  the  Mass.  And 
what  does  the  new  priest  do  together  with  the  bishop?  He 
says  Mass  aloud  together  with  the  bishop.  Which  is  the 
most  essential  part  of  the  Mass?  What  takes  place  at 
the  consecration?  Which  are  the  words  of  the  consecra- 
tion? The  new  priest  pronounces  these  words  aloud  with 
the  bishop  over  the  bread  and  the  wine  that  are  on  the  altar. 
He  now,  together  with  the  bishop,  for  the  first  time 
changes  bread  and  wine  into  the  true  body  and  blood  of 
our  divine  Saviour.  After  this  he  continues  to  say  Mass 
together  with  the  bishop  until  the  third  principal  part  of 
the  Mass.  Which  is  the  third  principal  part  of  the  Mass? 
What  does  the  bishop  then  do?  The  new  priest  also  re- 
ceives our  Saviour  in  holy  Communion  from  the  hand  of 
the  bishop. 

The  power  of  administering  the  sacraments.     After  the 


55o  HOLY  ORDER 

Communion  the  bishop  again  lays  his  hands  on  the  head  of 
the  new  priest.  What  does  he  say  whilst  he  is  doing  this? 
"  Receive  the  Holy  Ghost ; "  etc.  Who  first  spoke  these 
words?  To  whom?  What  power  did  these  words  impart 
to  the  apostles?  The  power  to  forgive  sins.  This  power 
is  imparted  by  the  sacrament  of  Holy  Order  to  the  newly 
ordained  priest.  The  sacrament  of  Holy  Order  imparts 
the  power  to  forgive  sins.  In  which  sacrament  does  the 
priest  forgive  sins?  Which  sacrament  can  the  newly 
ordained  priest  administer?  In  which  other  sacrament 
does  the  priest  forgive  sins  ?  In  the  sacrament  of  baptism. 
There  is  another  sacrament  in  which  the  priest  can  forgive 
sins;  which  is  it?  The  sacrament  of  extreme  unction. 
The  newly  ordained  priest  can  administer  all  these  sacra- 
ments. What  other  power,  already  mentioned,  does  the 
priest  receive  in  the  sacrament  of  Holy  Order  ?  The  power 
of  offering  the  holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass. 

Which  are  the  two  great  powers  conferred  on  the  priest 
by  the  sacrament  of  Holy  Order?  These  two  powers  are 
called  the  priestly  power.  The  priestly  power  is  the  grace 
conferred  by  the  sacrament  of  Holy  Order.  Moreover, 
when  the  bishop  anoints  and  consecrates  the  hands  of  the 
new  priests,  he  confers  on  him  the  power  of  blessing  per- 
sons and  things,  for  he  says :  "  Whatever  these  hands  will 
bless,  shall  be  blessed."  Not  long  after  his  ordination  the 
new  priest  celebrates  his  first  Mass.  Who  has  assisted  at 
a  priest's  first  Mass? 

The  special  grace.  The  priesthood  is  a  holy  and  difficult 
office.  What  must  the  priest  do  in  church  ?  In  the  school  ? 
In  the  houses  of  his  parishioners?  He  has  to  go  into  the 
houses  of  the  rich  and  of  the  poor.  He  must  love  them 
all  alike.  He  must  pray  for  all.  He  says  Mass  for  all  on 
Sundays  and  feast  days.  He  is  like  a  good  father,  a  good 
shepherd.  To  enable  him  to  perform  his  duty  well,  the 
Holy  Ghost  entered  his  heart  at  his  ordination.  And  what 
did  the  Holy  Ghost  bring  to  him?     He  brought  to  him  the 


MARRIAGE  551 

special  grace  to  discharge  well  the  duties  of  the  priest- 
hood. 

Summary.  In  the  sacrament  of  Holy  Order  the  priestly- 
power  is  conferred  together  with  the  special  grace  to  dis- 
charge properly  the  duties  of  the  priesthood. 

Application.  A  certain  saint  said:  If  I  would  meet  a 
priest  and  an  angel  at  the  same  time,  I  would  greet  the 
priest  first,  for  the  dignity  and  the  power  of  the  priest  are 
greater  than  those  of  the  angel.  What  powers  has  the 
priest,  which  the  angel  has  not?  Whom  does  the  priest 
represent  in  administering  the  sacraments  and  in  saying 
Mass?  He  is  the  representative  of  God,  and  therefore 
greater  than  an  angel.  Therefore  also  yon  ought  to  greet 
the  priest  before  any  one  else.  Priests  like  to  greet  chil- 
dren. You  should  revere  the  priest,  love  him  and  pray  for 
him. 

20.  Marriage. 

Object.  I  will  relate  to  you  the  marriage  of  Adam  and 
Eve.  Who  was  the  first  man  on  earth  ?  Adam  had  no 
one  to  speak  to.  What  did  God  say  on  this  account?  "  It 
is  not  good  for  man  to  be  alone,"  etc.  What  did  God, 
therefore,  send  to  Adam?  What  did  He  do  whilst  Adam 
was  sleeping?  What  did  God  do  when  Adam  awoke? 
Therefore  Adam  rejoiced  very  much ;  he  said :  '  This  is 
bone  of  my  bone,  and  flesh  of  my  flesh."  What  name  did 
he  give  her?  Woman.  Now  Adam  and  Eve  knelt  down 
before  God,  and  God  married  them.  Adam  was  the  bride- 
groom and  Eve  the  bride.  Adam  and  Eve  joined  hands, 
and  God  blessed  them.  They  were  now  husband  and  wife. 
Thus  Adam  and  Eve  had  their  wedding.  Our  divine  Sav- 
iour made  marriage  a  sacrament. 

Object.  We  shall  learn  to-day  what  graces  husband 
and  wife  receive  in  this  sacrament.  . 

Relation.  When  a  man  and  a  woman  wish  to  get 
married,  they  go  together  into  the  church.     They  are  usu- 


552  MARRIAGE 

ally  accompanied  by  their  parents,  relatives  and  friends. 
They  have  all  put  on  their  best  clothes.  They  come  before 
the  altar.  When  the  priest  comes,  he  stands  before  them, 
and  the  man  and  woman  kneel  down.  The  priest  first  asks 
the  man :  "  N.  wilt  thou  take  N.  here  present  for  thy 
lawful  wife  according  to  the  rite  of  our  holy  Mother  the 
Church?"  The  man  answers:  "  I  will."  The  priest  then 
asks  the  woman :  "  N.  wilt  thou  take  N.  here  present  for 
thy  lawful  husband  according  to  the  rite  of  our  holy 
Mother  the  Church?"  She  answers:  "I  will."  They 
join  their  right  hands  and  the  priest  says :  "  I  join  you  in 
marriage  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen."  He  makes  the  sign  of  the 
cross  over  them,  and  sprinkles  them  with  holy  water.  Now 
they  are  married ;  they  are  husband  and  wife  and  belong 
to  each  other.  After  this  the  priest  says  Mass  for  them. 
During  Mass  they  go  twice  to  the  altar  to  receive  special 
blessings  from  the  priest,  and  at  the  Communion  they  re- 
ceive holy  Communion  together.  After  Mass  they  have  a 
little  wedding  feast.  From  that  time  they  live  together, 
and  God  gives  them  children.  The  father  has  to  work 
and  care  for  the  mother;  the  mother  cares  for  the  father 
at  home  and  does  all  he  requires.  And  both  the  father  and 
the  mother  care  for  the  children.  Father  and  mother  re- 
main together  until  death  separates  them.  And  from  the 
day  of  the  marriage,  if  they  are  good,  God  is  with  them  and 
helps  them  with  His  grace  in  all  things. 

Consideration  —  The  marriage.  You  have  all  seen  a 
marriage.  Who  are  invited  to  it?  How  are  all  dressed? 
Who  are  the  best  dressed?  What  does  the  bride  wear? 
What  does  the  bridegroom  wear?  Where  is  the  marriage 
ceremony  performed?  Where  does  the  bridal  party  place 
themselves?  Where  does  the  priest  stand?  Who  kneels 
down  during  the  ceremony?  What  does  the  priest  ask  of 
the  bridegroom?  What  does  he  answer?  What  does  the 
priest  ask  of  the  bride?     What  does  she  answer?     What 


DUTIES  OF  THE  MARRIED  553 

is  done  next?  What  does  the  priest  do  while  the  bride- 
groom and  the  bride  have  joined  their  right  hands? 
(Blessing  of  the  ring,  etc.).  Then  the  priest  says  Mass 
for  the  newly  married.  What  do  they  do  twice  during  the 
Mass?  For  what?  When  do  they  receive  holy  Com- 
munion? Why  do  they  go  to  Communion?  That  our 
divine  Saviour  may  be  always  with  them  and  help  them 
with  His  grace.  Where  does  the  marriage  feast  take  place? 
Henceforth  they  live  together  and  God  gives  them  chil- 
dren. Thus  were  your  father  and  mother  married,  and 
God  has  given  them  you  and  your  brothers  and  sisters. 

Duties  of  the  husband.  Who  supports  the  wife  after  the 
marriage?  The  husband  has  to  do  it.  How  does  he  sup- 
port her  and  the  children?  By  his  work  or  business.  He 
must  earn  the  money  necessary  for  this,  and  also  use  his 
earnings  for  this.  He  received  in  the  sacrament  of  mar- 
riage special  grace  from  the  Holy  Ghost  to  do  this  properly. 

Duties  of  the  wife.  The  wife  must  care  for  her  hus- 
band's wants  at  home ;  and  she  must  also  follow  his  direc- 
tions, and  obey  him,  for  he  is  the  head  of  the  family.  God 
said  that  already  in  Paradise.  The  Holy  Ghost  gave  her 
special  grace  for  all  this  in  the  sacrament  of  marriage. 

Duties  of  the  married.  The  father  must  support  and 
care  for  the  mother,  and  the  mother  must  care  for  and 
attend  to  the  wants  of  the  father.  And  the  father  and  the 
mother  must  care  together  for  their  children.  How  do 
they  care  for  the  bodies  of  their  children?  How  do 
they  care  for  the  souls  of  their  children  ?  They  must  have 
them  baptized ;  when  they  begin  to  speak,  they  must  teach 
them  to  pray,  to  be  good,  to  be  obedient.  And  if  the  chil- 
dren are  disobedient,  are  bad?  The  parents  must  correct 
and  punish  their  faults.  In  a  word,  they  must  train,  bring 
up,  educate  their  children.  Which  are  the  duties  of  father 
and  mother  towards  their  children?  To  care  for  their 
wants,  to  educate  them.  The  sacrament  of  marriage, 
which  they  received,   imparted  to  them  the  special  grace 


554  MARRIAGE 

to  do  this  properly.     They  must  do  all  they  can,  and  grace 
will  enable  them  to  succeed  in  this  duty. 

The  family  circle.  Father  and  mother  can  give  great 
pleasure  to  the  children.  For  instance,  in  the  long  winter 
evenings  after  supper,  after  the  mother  has  put  the  baby 
to  sleep,  and  all  the  other  children  are  assembled  with  their 
father  and  mother  around  a  bright  fire ;  sometimes  the  chil- 
dren are  playing  together,  or  studying  the  next  day's  les- 
sons ;  or  the  father  or  the  mother  relates  stories ;  or  one 
of  the  children  reads  something  interesting  out  of  a  good 
book,  and  the  others  listen ;  or  all  join  in  singing  together 
some  pious  hymn.  Then  at  the  appointed  time  all  kneel 
together  before  a  little  altar,  on  which  is  a  statue  or  picture 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  a  crucifix  between  two  lighted 
candles,  and  night  prayers  are  said  in  common  by  the  father 
and  mother  and  the  children.  After  this  the  children  bid 
their  father  and  mother  good  night,  and  then  retire  to  rest 
each  in  his  own  little  bed.  The  blessing  of  God  is  with 
such  a  family. 

Until  death.  The  duties  of  the  married  are  difficult. 
The  mother  has  much  to  endure  from  the  children.  What 
punishment  did  God  pronounce  over  Eve  after  her  sin? 
Your  mother  has  much  trouble  with  you.  Her  children 
are  sometimes  disobedient  or  quarreling;  some  are  cry- 
ing; sometimes  they  are  sick,  and  cannot  sleep.  The 
mother  can  have  no  rest,  cannot  get  a  chance  to  sleep; 
she  often  cannot  help  weeping  over  her  troubles,  saying: 
"  Oh,  what  a  heap  of  trouble  and  worry  the  children  cause 
me ! "  It  is  much  worse,  if  the  father  gets  sick.  Can  the 
mother  then  say :  "I  am  going  away,  I  cannot  stand  this 
any  longer "  ?  No ;  she  must  stay,  and  now,  more  than 
ever,  must  she  care  for  the  children  and  for  their  sick 
father. 

The  father  has  also  many  cares  on  account  of  the  chil- 
dren. His  hours  of  work  are  often  long  and  hard.  When 
he  comes  home,  he  is  very  tired,  and,  nevertheless,  he  often 


DUTIES  OF  THE  MARRIED  555 

has  to  do  some  work  at  home  also.  If  the  mother  is  sick, 
he  must  care  for  her  and  do  a  good  part  of  her  work. 
Sometimes  he  cannot  get  work,  and  then  he  knows  not 
where  he  can  get  means  to  support  the  family.  He  can 
never  say :  "  I  am  going  away,  and  I  will  leave  the  mother 
and  the  children  to  care  for  themselves."  No,  he  cannot ; 
for  now  more  than  ever  he  must  stay  with  the  mother  and 
the  children  and  care  for  them  and  work  to  support  them. 
The  father  and  the  mother  must  remain  together  until 
death  separates  them.  That  is  a  sacred  duty  of  the  state 
of  marriage. 

Which  are  the  duties  of  the  father  towards  the  mother? 
Which  are  the  duties  of  the  mother  towards  the  father? 
Which  are  the  duties  of  the  father  and  the  mother  towards 
the  children?  How  long  must  married  persons  remain 
(live)  together?  How  long  then  must  married  persons 
fulfil  the  duties  of  the  marriage  state?  Until  death.  What 
did  they  receive  for  this  in  the  sacrament  of  marriage? 
A  special  grace  from  the  Holy  Ghost  to  enable  them  to 
perform  those  duties  until  death  separates  them. 

Summary.  Married  people  receive  in  the  sacrament  of 
marriage  a  special  grace  to  perform  properly  the  duties 
of  the  state  of  marriage  until  death. 

Application.  Father  and  mother  have  duties  towards 
each  other  and  towards  the  children.  Which  are  the  duties 
of  the  children  towards  their  parents? 

How  beautiful  it  is  to  see  love  and  harmony  reign  in 
a  family,  between  father,  mother  and  children !  To  see 
how  they  help  and  care  for  one  another.  This  was  seen 
in  the  Holy  Family  at  Nazareth.  Have  you  seen  a  pic- 
ture of  the  Holy  Family  at  Nazareth?  How  many  per- 
sons are  represented  in  it? 

St.  Joseph  is  the  father.  What  is  he  doing?  He  is 
working  to  care  for  and  support  the  family.  So  does  your 
father  for  you.  The  Blessed  Virgin  Mary  is  the  mother. 
What  is  she  doing?     Doing  the  house-work.     Your  mother 


556  MARRIAGE 


also  does  the  same.  What  is  the  Child  Jesus  doing?  He 
is  helping  St.  Joseph.  He  also  helped  Mary,  His  Mother. 
He  always  obeyed  immediately  and  cheerfully.  What  did 
His  obedience  cause  to  Mary  and  Joseph?  Much  pleasure. 
How  can  you  also  give  pleasure  to  your  parents?  Are 
you  very  willing  to  help  them  ?  Strive  always  to  imitate  the 
Child  Jesus. 


THE   END 


U.C.BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


C0L4213SlEfl 


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